Connection & community
I was recently reminded this last week that connection does not always guarantee community.
It can be difficult to put yourself out in the public eye, especially your creation. What if someone doesn’t like it? What if it’s not good enough? What if it doesn’t sell? etc.
What if? What if you never take the first step to find out? Without that leap of faith or push towards the next step, remaining complacent in your stagnancy. And that is guaranteed every time.
Maybe a call for art is new to you or asking that artist for coffee is intimidating. But if you never share your work outside of your own space, how will your effort for connection in community form? It takes more than one or two of us to be a community.
Now imposter syndrome, anxiety, poor self-esteem, perfectionism, fear of denial, self sabotage, depression, individualism, the list goes on - are all real symptoms of being human. And I would argue are heightened when you want to pour into your creativity.
I can confidently say I have experienced each of these in the past, recently, and or currently. And I know they will cycle back through my path another time. But this will not halt or end my pursuit of the creative life. They may slow it or delay it, but I will die before I grace the thought of stopping.
I encourage you to keep the faith that whatever you are experiencing - and maybe you’re in a great space right now, that you are called to a higher purpose in your practice. Let’s continue to stay creative together.
June 2024, The Plein Air Club
The Plein Air Club
The Plein Air Club is close to my heart and exists because I believe in artist connection. Plain and simple. If we do not have a creative community and celebrate our artistic differences the ecosystems of our souls, cities and selves will never thrive.
Hosting you out in local places, I hope brings you encouragement to try new things for your soul’s benefit. It isn’t always about creating the thing, most of the time my focus is honoring that routine of doing something out of the ordinary because it is good for me.
I do have plans in the works to expand what the club can offer and how I can better connect with each of you. In the mean time, know how much I appreciate your support and time when we gather together. It is so incredible the connections we have formed these last 6 months.
In celebration of our Plein Air community, I am planning a Plein Air Club Social & Art Showcase! This will be our opportunity to gather together and invite non-members to come see what The Plein Air Club is all about!
The Art Showcase will be one or more of each of our plein air pieces we have created over the year. So start saving your work!
