WOW

I’m in awe of you. All of you. All who have shown me such love and support, such kindness. Over 70 of you made the pilgrimage out to camp to honor the work of grief and celebrate new life. People came from far away like Houston, Indiana, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Nashville, and Chattanooga. People from downstate like Grand Rapids, Ann Arbor, and Detroit all made the trek. 

You have to work to get up here. It’s not easy. It’s expensive. You have to fly and drive a long way and camp is in the middle of nowhere off two dirt roads. You will wonder more than once where in the world I’m sending you on this journey to camp. My job was to make the work. It’s God’s job to bring it to the right people. I trusted that whoever was supposed to be here would be. And you made it. You showed up.  

These are people from church or from camp, my late husband’s people, my now husband’s people, family from near and far, clients, friends of friends, and those I just met. I watched you all respond to the energy of the work with the color of your own experiences. Many commented on what spoke most to them. For some it was a specific work, others were amazed by the whole of it. Sometimes the palette and sometimes the poems, but I can’t tell you what a humbling experience it was to see you all.  

This is not something I could do alone. I wrote the poetry. I made the art. I made my meaning, but to complete the work, you have to bring your meaning. This is where we make intimacy and connection through our experiences—a communion of sorts. Everyone is alone in their grief experience, but we did it together. We were alone…together. We honored our grief and healing and celebrated the new…even when it’s hard. Even when we fail to welcome it. New life is here. Together, we honored our whole experience.

Behind the scenes, my team of top notch professionals and dear friends made miracles happen. Somehow they captured our heart and soul–captured it in photos and interviews, captured it in the decor and vibe of everything I was looking for in this event. You can’t force magic to happen. You can only invite it. I felt God come near and I hope you did too.

It was exciting and fascinating to be with you all in this. This is how I want to work. I want to use every language I have–words and images. I want to live right in the center of faith and love, art, and nature. I want to capture this kind of internal work and create intimate relationships through my art. I can’t wait to see you again at my next show.