I Got Something To Say: Artist Confessions » Uncategorized

Thankful

venita — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 04:29:31 +0000

Yesterday was an extraordinarily disappointing. I missed a race that I had been training for since the beginning of October. That may sound trite, but running has become my way of dealing with the incredible challenges that have come over the last year. It is my mechanism for clarity and positive thought.

With that said, I could sit here and dwell on my disappointment or I could be thankful instead for the blessing of family, friends, and art. These things, combined with running have made a devastating year, manageable and almost tolerable. So, with that thought I wanted to share this piece I did in KC Willis’ class last month.

This little girl has such joy, considering she grew up in a time when we were not allowed to vote, lived in a segregated society, and could at best dream of becoming a maid. She exudes joyfulness and makes anyone that sees her smile. So, I thought I would reflect on her smile and remember there will be other opportunities and other disappointments much more powerful than a missed race. And if I can just stay focused on positive thought, I may not be able to avoid the disappointments, but I can keep focused on my blessings and be thankful for what I have. And that will make what ever the difficulty, better faster than I could hope.

All the best…

Cloth Paper Scissors Epilogue: A Cup of Tea with a Bit of Cold

venita — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 20:12:00 +0000

Well alas my piece called A Cup of Tea with a Bit of Cold, did not get selected for A Cup of Tea with a Bit of Cold. I am a bit disappointed, but that is life and the process of putting yourself and work out there for evaluation and selection. I did get great feedback last week from the nice folks from Mixed Media Monday, my friends, and family about my work. And that was just really up lifting.

So onward to the next submission, I think I am going to submit to the Denver Modernism show that is in August. If I am going to do it, it will need to be done by 7.26.08, since I will be heading out for Santa Fe next week. Wish me luck!

Stevie Wonder

venita — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 00:54:15 +0000

On July 1^st, we went to see Stevie Wonder perform at Fiddlers Green in South Denver. In a word, Amazing!! He is an old school show man. He has an amazing band with his daughter Aisha as one of the three backup singers. The percussion was amazing. He played an awesome set with old and new music, such as Baby Girl (new), Mon Cherie Amour, Isn’t She Lovely, Superstition, Higher Ground, and much much more. His daughter sang a solo as well. And after she finished, he asked the audience to sing to her! So we all sang “Isn’t She Lovely”. He sang as well. And about a quart of the way through the song, he stopped singing. Why? Because he started to cry, then she started to cry, and I started to cry as well. But, the audience kept singing and his band kept on playing. He finally gathered himself together to play part of the song with his harmonica. It was awesome we all finished the song together.

Not long before that, he played Sha la la la la, I Love You and Have You Seen Her, which led into “Higher Ground”. With that song I was (and the crowd) were on our feet singing again. I could still remember the words, when the song came out, and what was going on in my life and the US at the time. Then tears started to well up in my eyes as I remembered visiting and hanging out with my cousins in South Central LA in the late sixties and early seventies. And I remember in particular two of my cousins, who have since left this world. I realized when someone dies, regardless of age; the pain never really goes away. It just returns at an inexplicable moment with varying degrees of intensity.

Stevie would later comment that “Time is long and life is short.” And he said that if you have issues with family or friends, try to let go and get over it. And as he closed the show with Superstition playing in the background, he said we need to unite as one people and make a change (a direct reference to Barak Obama). I thought that took a lot of courage in a definitively Red state.

His final words were “impossible is an unacceptable word.” I realized that this man grew up blind and black in the some of the most tumultuous times in American history, and he can say “impossible is an unacceptable word.”

God brings us lessons at the most unexpected times and places.