Artists Arise

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Comment by Patti Landrum on May 5, 2012 at 6:29am

Anita, I just read your comments and you brought a beautiful explanation of things that happen during our lifetime.  That Joanne Miller is such a special lady.  Thank you for sharing your experience and comforting words.

Comment by anita foss on May 5, 2012 at 5:33am

Deby, 

Thanks for openly sharing your struggles. I’ve wondered what you’ve been up to. I can only imagine how you must feel, but I really like your new work.

When our children were young, I home-schooled the oldest two. Then when our youngest was kindergarten age, we moved into a good school district and they all went off to school. All at once. No ease of transition. In an instant, I went from being a stay-at-home mother-of-preschoolers to something new and undefined. It's not like I lost them! It seemed ridiculous, but as I packed their preschool toys away, I deeply grieved the loss of that identity and that season of my life. I can still remember the intensity of that feeling.

I have a friend who went through a job-title change at work that was crushing to her. We can become pretty heavily invested in our identities. I wonder if God has to pry us away from them sometimes so we’ll be ready to embrace something new.

Joanne Miller wrote a wonderful piece about the puzzle of life. I hope it’s still available on her blog because she writes it much better than I can recount it. But in it, she likens our lives to a puzzle that God is putting together. The catch is, only He can see the box lid. We can see parts of the frame and sections here and there that are complete, but we can’t yet see the full picture. Only He can. That really spoke to me and the idea has stayed with me.

Not long after reading what Joanne wrote, I had an opportunity to catch up with a relative that I don’t often see. She showed us photos from a trip to Hawaii, including some gorgeous sunset photos. As the conversation progressed, she told us about a nightmarish experience that she had been through. Her story was so dark, I could do nothing more than simply be present and listen. I had no words of comfort or advice. 

Later, as I was reflecting on the deep blackness of her experience, I was reminded of the sunset photo and Joanne’s metaphor. 

I couldn’t help thinking that if the colors of the sunset were replaced with all sunshine and blue skies, it would no longer be a sunset. It would be more ordinary, less stunning. I was reminded that a sunset would never be a sunset without deep blacks.

I love learning about people’s journeys. I’m continually fascinated to see how the things people pick up along a seemingly meandering life path end up contributing mightily to their big picture.

We can’t yet see what God is working on in the puzzle of your life, but we can rest assured that He works ALL things together for good. I feel confident that you will come away from this more fully-equipped for what’s next.

Thanks for all you do to encourage us and to enrich our lives.

hugs!

Comment by Roy Simmons on May 4, 2012 at 3:51pm

The un connected are now connected...You just need patience and a love of your Art, Artists can no longer rely on 'connections' in the old world way of working. The Artist who does not engage with his fans and audience, will soon seem boring and anachronistic.

Comment by Deby Dearman on May 4, 2012 at 2:50pm

Brad & Nate, I agree with you, and for those of us who listen to Dan Miller I think he would agree with us too. He talks about change and how we must learn to change with the times. It seems Vince is stuck in the way things used to be thinking. With the Internet and Social Media fans expect more. The wise artists are giving the fans what they want and learning to roll with the changes. I wish Vince the best, but I think he better start reading some Seth Godin and Dan Miller!

Brad, it's great to see you back! I miss your regular updates. I hope the boys are doing well. I'm gonna go check out you blog.

Comment by Nate Schubick on May 3, 2012 at 5:58pm

I think vince gill is wrong to think that way....i would like to see my music get sold but i would rather get people out of their homes and into a fun place together of one accord. Sometimes musicians forget to be a musician they had to be a fan first. So what if a dollar is all you are getting....use your tribe and drawing people together. Go back to how much fun it was to play your first baseball game, play in a theater, first learned song on an instrument. So what if youve built a platform but forgot the world changed while you slept. New world out there, kinda lightning fast and raucous and can be intimidating but the ones who still shine, not whine, are the ones who will survive and thrive

Comment by Brad Leslie on May 3, 2012 at 5:45pm

The music industry is changing...just like the publishing industry, the fine arts industry; in fact, just like the world is changing. I think that rather than lamenting those changes, we (along with professionals in every changing marketplace) need to evolve along with it.
Just earlier today, coincidentally, I read an article about a musician named Amanda ( I'm blanking on her last name right now) who, without a label or manager or contract, made $250,000 in sales in one day, through social networking and communication with fans.
In one day.
Let folks have their silly apps, because they're the ones who also buy music online.
And professionals who adapt and evolve will still profit.

Comment by Deby Dearman on May 3, 2012 at 4:51pm

A quote from a recent Vince Gill interview --- "Income streams are dwindling. Record sales aren't what they used to be. The devaluation of music and what it's now deemed to be worth is laughable to me. My single costs 99 cents. That's what a (single) cost in 1960. On my phone, I can get an app for 99 cents that makes fart noises -- the same price as the thing I create and speak to the world with. Some would say the fart app is more important. It's an awkward time. Creative brains are being sorely mistreated."

Interesting  . . . what are your thoughts?

Comment by Bonnie Hardison on April 29, 2012 at 5:21pm

So thrilled to see your beautiful paintings posted, Deby. Wonderful work. Palette knives are so freeing.

Comment by Deby Dearman on April 29, 2012 at 4:31pm

Thanks, girls! I'm using acrylics with pallet knives - no brushes for me.

Comment by Susan Visker on April 29, 2012 at 4:16pm

Deby what medium are you using?  I really like your style.  It looks like pastels?

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