Dear Readers,

Well, here we are.
I’ve spent a lot of time this past week asking myself whether I should confront the elephant in the room in this post, or if it would it be more helpful to just ignore it and stick solely to art & the goings-on in my studio. As you will see if you read on, I’m going to try to straddle that line.

I have no doubt that many of you are experiencing a similar range of emotions in the aftermath of Nov. 5th, and that you certainly don’t need to spend time wading through my personal reactions. However, I believe we all benefit from sharing coping mechanisms. This time around, I’m planning to lean into a valuable lesson learned during the turmoil of 2016-20, and will offer it here for you to take or leave, as you see fit.

One of the most reliable ways I discovered to find relief from the unrelenting angst of those years was through community and the sense of connection I found there. As one of my artist friends sagely remarked at a get-together last weekend, now is the time to strengthen our pods.

Consciously seeking out and finding commonality with others is key — and all the more so now. Believing in kindness, in civility, in respecting others despite our differences and understanding that laws are the guardrails of a civilized society should be a given. But sadly, as we know all too well, it isn’t anymore. As we look to find our way, we can only control what we can control. Now is a time, as Fred Rogers so often advised, to look for “the helpers”, people who bring light into our lives. So often that quality can be found through creative sectors.

With that in mind, here are a few ongoing entities and projects that bring me hope. Some of them are local and/or part of the Eye of the Needle community, and some are more ubiquitous. Wherever you live, there will surely be numerous options near you.

• Museums and Galleries
  Soon after the 2016 election I found solace at an exhibit of Pat Steir’s work. I wrote the following in my blog about that visit, noting the lift her paintings gave me at that particular impass.  “...despite my dismal outlook at the end of a weary and unsettling week, Steir’s paintings provided a 30 minute reprieve by offering a much-needed sense of solid ground; her visual language seemingly echoing the weight of what I was feeling while simultaneously bolstering my spirits with strength, determination and certainty“.   full post with images
• Visit Your Local Library
  Librarians are unsung heroes that are there to support everyone in a community in a multitude of ways. Books provide one of life’s best and most reliable ways to take a break – whether through learning or a period of escape.
• Go to a Community Play
  Paraphrasing local director Monica Callan of Moxie Productions during a recent interview in advance of the opening of her new production, Mauritius: to be in the presence of fellow community members, in the dark, experiencing a different world together is so much richer than streaming an online show on your laptop.
• Take a Class
  Enjoy the challenges and rewards of trying something new with others. I would love to be able to drop in on reader Kate Godfrey’s portrait embroidery classes in Berkeley, CA.
• Check out and Sign up for The Americans of Conscience Checklist
  This regular, non-partisan checklist of easily accomplished actions are meant to strengthen democracy and expand equality, one step at a time. It’s an easy avenue toward making  your voice heard.
  Bonus: they send out a monthly email of “Just Good News”, listing the many positive things that Americans are accomplishing. We could all use a dose of that, even in the best of times.
• Look for Projects that Keep You Informed
  Knit Democracy Together is an ongoing project created by craft-ivist Eve Jacobs-Carnahan. Eve is a former election attorney who demystifies our election systems via a form of modern-day knitting circles. Her events have expanded beyond Vermont and have been welcomed to numerous other states which appreciate and recognize the need for accurate information.

I’m sure you have plenty of your own ideas; the main thing for us to keep reminding ourselves is that we’re aren’t alone. And perhaps most importantly, as the offspring of one of my good friends said to me, with fist pumped in the air at the end of the artist talk I had just given: “Keep making art!”