I Just love this picture! I took it at last week’s Vision Board workshop, and it makes me smile every time I see it. It’s not the beauty of the piece (though it IS beautiful!); it's not “Mary’s” creativity that turned her poster board into a butterfly (though that WAS creative!); and it’s not the themes that the artist so vividly captured (though the themes ARE vivid).
Nope. It’s not any of these things. It’s the joy and pride that shows through on Mary’s face. She’s simply enjoying being SEEN—something most of us shy away from.
As I mentioned last month, for the past few weeks, I’ve been sharing my journey through Julia Cameron’s Artist’s Way program on Purple Crayon’s Facebook page. This week, the topic is “Recovering a Sense of Power,” and it’s about breaking free from the shame that hinders artistic expression. When we receive damaging criticism (criticism that disparages, dismisses, ridicules, or condemns), we tend to believe it. And we start to shut down. We hide ourselves, and our work, from the world. And that, in itself, is a shame.
But not Mary! Whether she’s benefited from having supportive friends and family, or she’s learned how to sort useless criticism from useful criticism (the kind that FAIRLY hits the mark and shows an artist a new and valid path for work), I don’t know. I do know, however, that, at least in this moment, she’s delighted, and her joy is contagious!
If you’re ready to let some of YOUR light shine, but you’re not quite sure how, we've got you covered! Purple Crayon just expanded its “Playing with Pam” workshop series to include in-person workshops as well. Each 2 1/2-hour workshop invites you to explore a different craft, like mosaics (2/25), needle felting (3/25), or jewelry making (4/22). The workshops are FREE for members and only $25 for non-members (plus materials and tools). And, if you’re a non-member, you can apply the fee towards your first month’s membership—essentially making the workshops free for you, too!
We also just added a FREE Making Mats that Matter workshop to our February line-up (2/20). You may have seen the Haywood Street MATters on WLOS this summer. They turn plastic shopping bags into “plarn” (plastic yarn) and then crochet the plarn into much-needed sleeping mats for the homeless. Pretty cool (or, I guess, WARM), huh?! Come learn how it's done—and help our less fortunate neighbors while you're at it. No experience necessary!
You can register for all of the Purple Crayon workshops on our website. And, if you’ve not seen Purple Crayon in-person yet, I encourage you to stop by on February 10th for our monthly Open House. We have just a few dedicated creation stations left, and I’d hate for you to miss out!
Happy Valentine’s Day, Friends!
—Pam Robbins, Owner
