In the depths of winter, I finally learned that within me there lay an invincible summer. Albert Camus, Lyrical and Critical Essays.
Clearly, we are a nation in transition, in a world of uncertainty, politically, socially, and environmentally. It’s also true we’ve been here before. I remember the years from 1963 – 1974, believing the country was falling apart. And from my recent studying, I realize Earth has over and over again, been through warming and cooling, earthquakes and volcanoes, continents forming or separating, and new mountains and oceans taking their place on the planet. The rocks off the coast of Maine near Vinalhaven might be the same as those in Morocco! Here are two images of Iberville shale from Lake Champlain that could be 450 million years old.
Personally, as I navigate this decade of my life, I am also aware of people I love who have gone to their next adventure, while I watch my grandchildren grow into their grown-up place in the future. This is life. I happen to live in a beautiful place – Maine – as many of you do as well. And while the coastline has been battered by storm over the years, the state as a whole continues to be of pristine beauty.
Nevertheless, as individuals, we all suffer the effects of turmoil and uncertainty.
This is why art making, music making, writing, and gathering together are such important gestures. In the now well-known book, Bowling Alone, by Robert B. Putnam, Putnam contemplated the problem of loneliness due to lack of community engagement. That was 15 years ago, and our isolation from each other continues.
Maybe you don’t often take workshops or participate in group activities. Yes, I know that many hours of artistic life are in isolation, but working with other like-minded souls, enjoying the company of those who are interested in what you’re interested in, is such pleasure, and so necessary to our well-being.
It might be a communal dinner, or a jam session with musicians, or a poetry workshop. What I offer is a place for artists to work, to talk about work, and to make things together.
Two loosely bound books by Charlene Lutz
I hope you’ll join Charlene Lutz and me for the Loosely Bound Path workshop, and find a way to surrender the difficulty of this time, to making books together. We will write, draw, batik, stitch and dye fabric to make pages that express our thoughts, and allow us to share that with each other. With these pages of thought, we will construct books – keeping things loose, yet bound – and leave with a sense of calm in this crazy time.
Go to www.26splitrockcove.com/workshops to sign up for the Loosely Bound Path (part one and part two), or email me at sandy@26splitrockcove.com for more information.