Nurturing Young Talent and Building Creative Communities

Witness the magic when young art meets experience, as I recount my day as a juror for the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards. Imagine the thrill of seeing the world through the eyes of 7th to 12th graders, each piece a testament to raw talent and unfiltered creativity. From my own daughter's gold key victory to the struggles art educators face with limited resources, this episode paints a vivid picture of the importance of nurturing creativity in our schools and communities.

As I reflect on this profound experience, I share insights into my own artistic journey and the joy of opening a space where creativity flourishes. Listen as I discuss the vibrant community that forms around art, bridging social gaps and sparking connections. From young artists to seasoned creators, everyone deserves a place to express themselves, and I'm committed to making that a reality. Tune in to hear how art serves as a powerful tool for self-expression and camaraderie, offering a fulfilling outlet that transcends age and backgrounds.

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:06

Hello everyone. Welcome back to Brutally Made Happy New Year. I am sending this out a little later on in the day. I had to spend my last week of 2024 with laryngitis and I couldn't talk, so I couldn't record that week.

Speaker 1: 0:28

Today I actually have a PTO from my day job and I have been at the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards judging or being a juror for 7th through 12th grade artists in about six counties surrounding me, and so I just got back from that and I wanted to talk about the inspiration at a young age and how that carries over into adulthood for today's episode, and I thought that experience would be really great to talk about. So my pets are super excited that I'm home, so you can probably hear them in the background meowing and squeaking all their toys. So the experience of getting to judge a group of kids ages 7th grade to 12th grade and their variety of work was just phenomenal. And today the I guess visuals that you're going to see are going to be some of my work when I was younger and then throwing in some of the things that my kiddos produced. I love looking back on stuff like that. My daughter, the oldest daughter she was a gold key winner for the Scholastic Arts in Photography when she was in high school and it was such a cool thing for her to receive that. For her award she was asked to go to New York and her piece was displayed in Columbus and it was just an honor to get to. You know, help. Another young adult experience that and I was truly just blown away by the talent. It was incredible to also hear the other jurors in my group and my little cohort that were educators and just their struggles of what are they going to teach in the timeframe that they're given to the students that are placed in there or elected to be in there.

Speaker 1: 2:49

And you've got this huge range of interest. People either want to do it or are just there to fill a space, or don't understand the assignment or want to do their own thing. And how are you constructively guiding them and providing the right environment and tools and the finances? Because art programs are cut a lot from different organizations and schools and it's a struggle but it's so important and it's such a great career and outlet and just it's a variety of things. It's so hard to gauge creative endeavors like art on the same level as sports or academics or things that other people put on a pedestal, I guess more or less because then they are considered eligible for funding or support or it makes money for the schools. I mean personal opinion here, but it just seems like art is approached as something that can be tossed away or is not on the same level. And it truly is. It is truly something that should be embraced and supported and seen as something that generates interest and camaraderie and fills in social gaps.

Speaker 1: 4:25

Opening the shop and studio now for four months there is just this hunger for people to engage with something they produce, that they make, that they have fun doing or trying, and that's why I love offering creative opportunities in all aspects and in many ways, for all ages, for anyone and all kinds of things, things that I don't know how to do. I'm totally looking for other teachers. I love learning. I absolutely want to continue to find new things to offer and enjoy trying, just like the next person. It's not like I'm ever going to get to the point where I'm just I'm done, I know enough. It's to me that's not ever going to happen and I feel that connection with other people.

Speaker 1: 5:26

There are so many people that come in there with a friend. They find something fun to sit down and create, they'll start talking. And I really try to back off, especially if it's not a class, especially if you're coming in there to do just like, make something pop in with family and friends. I'm there to guide, I'll chat with you all night, but I really try to step back and let them enjoy the moment. And you know I'll have the radio or music going in the background and it's just relaxing and I love the hum of everyone enjoying that moment. And it's not a race. I don't, I don't like. Oh, I close at nine, you're leaving. I have people staying until 10 o'clock and that's fine, it's open. I'll make it work.

Speaker 1: 6:15

That is the beauty of having this space. It's not just like a store, it's more than that and I think people are getting to understand that. That is the goal and I love that. It involves being creative or learning something new or having a moment together. That's what is most important. Yes, you can shop for a new, really cool shirt. Yes, there are some amazing art that you'll be able to see on the wall. Yes, I encourage you to contribute to a community art project. There are gifts to buy, there are places to have a party and there are ways to bring food and drink in, and it's just a variety of ways to offer different levels for everyone's needs, and that has my heart. That's why I love it so so much, because it's not following anything else that I know. It's bits and pieces and parts of things that I enjoy that I'm making my own and I think that that is truly creative. But it's also something that is so necessary right now. There are ways that we're not connecting with one another that we really need to.

Speaker 1: 7:39

I posted a draw date event and it's kind of like a speed dating thing and I want to offer it to different niches in our community Right now. I want to try to help 21 and over men and women have a moment meeting one another in a cool environment, sketching each other for three minutes. I'll give a list of prompts that they can talk to one another about. Then they hear the buzzer, they go to the next person and at the end they're gonna have 20 pictures of someone they sketched. And then you go back around and you talk to the people and show them your drawings and have some pizza and you can go to drink. If you want, bring it over from one of the restaurants or bars and you're just enjoying something silly to laugh about. And if you want to stay later and play one of the art games, go for it when the doors close that night. You've got micro breweries, mexican restaurants, italian restaurants, ice cream places. You can just like continue talking to that person maybe you've made a connection with.

Speaker 1: 8:46

And then the next one I'll have for you know, guys meeting guys. I'll have one for the girls meeting the girls. I'll have one for 65 and over, because I tell you what, in my nine to five we have a group that those older adults, those seniors, when we have forums and stuff, they want to know where the single men are or the single women are. There's a need for that and it would be so much fun to do it over art. So those are coming. Those are things that I'm trying to create that I really haven't seen done before, but I want to be that place that's kind of different and fun.

Speaker 1: 9:25

And you know, oh, out of the box thinking, I have a monthly bus tour that I want to do and I want to incorporate visiting other locations that have off the wall supplies, for example. So if we're doing like an assemblage piece and I will show that piece of art at breakfast. And everyone gets on a shuttle bus and we go to one thrift store location and we shop for materials. And then we're going to get on the bus and we're going to go to another location and we're going to shop for more materials. Then we all get back on the bus and we come back to the studio, we take everything out that we found and we make a piece inspired by my sample and you're spending the whole morning together with people that love to craft, like you do, and I just think that's so much fun. I have those happening every month and then I have a tiny, itty bitty art exhibit going. We had a itty bitty art exhibit in 2020.

Speaker 1: 10:25

And then the pandemic hit and it was at Bell Village Mall and everybody stopped and created these teeny, tiny pieces of art and I had all these little magnifying glasses and micro tiny visitors looking at the art and we're going to do the same thing, but on the gallery wall, in April. So two inches is the max size that you can make your art and you can submit up to four pieces and it's $5 to enter and you don't have to be from the community. You can mail it in and there's instructions on that event that talk about how to do it. But if you're here locally, if you want to sell them, you can. But they're going to get donated to the Plain Little Art Shack. So we have art to give away in the community. If they don't sell, or if you mail them in because I'm not mailing them back those would be donated. But we'll have tiny little magnifying glasses so everybody could see the little art. We're going to have little programs, we're going to have little snacks, but I want to fill the art with community engaged pieces, everyone in the community making something tiny to hang on the wall for this itty bitty art exhibit five year anniversary. So that is happening and I just love creating different ideas that involve any age, any body, any talent, and that's got my heart.

Speaker 1: 11:49

So the theme of this whole episode today is being inspired like a child. Today, during the Scholastic Arts Awards, I got to see multiple submissions based on the same prompt and you can tell it was the same prompt. There were similar, I guess, media used, not the same picture, but you know, maybe they were all fruit paintings or fruit drawings and you could tell that they came from the same assignment because there were a lot of elements that were alike. But you're thinking out of the box, you've got a little guidelines and you kind of roll with your own style and I feel like that's what I'm doing.

Speaker 1: 12:34

I have a store, the guidelines to be open, there's a gallery and I'm doing what I want with it and I think that is what makes it so unique and fun, because it's not like anything else and I don't want to be like anything else, because everybody coming in are their own person, their own style, their own interests, and I want to be there for them to express that. And I know I can't fill the niche for everybody, but I can be available to you to find your own. And that's what's important to me, because I feel like being creative helps facilitate so many things in life, from relationships to businesses to marketing to really everything sciences. I mean, if you followed the recipe to a T and never deviated, everything would be the same. We need to deviate, we need to change things up, and I'm giving permission for people to do that and that's important to me.

Speaker 1: 13:47

So I just want you to look at things, even though, if you have a set of rules. Put your own spin on it. Don't be afraid to try making it your own. That's what's important. Be yourself, because you're brutally made. I know that. So I hope you liked this little walk down memory lane with my visuals, if you happen to be watching on YouTube. But yeah, let me know how you're going to approach something new in 2025, with a childlike wonder and excitement. I've got six more months left in my full-time job and I am all in and I have to make it work. So that's what I'm doing. Thanks for listening. I can't wait to talk to you next time. Have a great weekend and stay safe out there. Take care. Bye-bye.