Another great thing about a Ministry of Encouragement is that when you’re busy encouraging other writer’s and artist, you have less time to worry about if you’re any good or not. You actually find more time to make art and collaborate.
That’s what happened to me after work.
A few days after being a guest artist at the Open House at Bedlam Farm, the buzz was starting to fade, and I was already counting the weeks until the next one recharged the creative sparks in its guests. This years’ connections are still connecting, however, and another Open House guest and I began picking each other’s brains.
I tend to be pretty introverted, faking social skills only for short periods of time, and I would not have chatted her up first even though we really hit it off at the Open House. Fortunately, my partner in crime was Jean Glaser, an amazing painter specializing in animal portraits, didn’t have the same hesitation, and we were soon trading tech tips for new insights on how to hold a pencil and drawing board.
A few 10 minute exercises later, a new world was opening up. Loosening up has its benefits.
