Finding Community

This past week and the days ahead are loaded with communities that have intersected my life. Moving has enabled me to expand these groups of connections and even overlap them as they grow. Changing locations hasn’t meant I lose out on circles of friendships I’ve forged (which I was afraid of). Discovering new kindred spirits in every locale has made me a better person and clay artist. 

Visit the charming studio of jeweler Stacey Krantz to shop a fantastically curated group of local artists throughout the month of December. It's located at 6801 Maryland Avenue in Braddock Heights, Maryland.

Finding and expanding community takes time and some motivation. As the creature of habit that I tend to be, it’s easy to remain in a familiar circle of people and experiences that feels comfortable. But each time I’ve explored a new community (meaning both a physical area and the people living and working there), I have been fortunate to connect with a variety of folks that impact my life in a truly positive way.

I'll be returning to one of my original communities this Saturday to participate in a fantastic holiday boutique. Calling on all my DC-area 'peeps' to visit me there!

As my community has grown, so too has my clay art. The expansion is like hitting the refresh button on your computer. I’m reinvigorated, my creativity flourishes, and I’ve gained an abundance of friends. Finding and broadening community is possible. You just have to seek it out. 

Shared Scenarios

This week has been filled with connections. I have been busy in the studio preparing for a large private show to help raise money for a charity this coming weekend in Huntsville, Alabama. The garden stepping stone that originated the idea for this event is complete and ready for placement! My newest connection to that area is the family of my daughter’s fiancé.  I have other friends with similar southern roots and it’s been nice to realize that shared connection. 

The Potter’s Guild of Frederick is celebrating its 10th anniversary with a show in the Hodson & Whitaker Gallery of Hood College. As a former member of this group, I’ll be sharing a piece I created in that show. I joined the group when I first moved to Frederick to make connections with the clay community locally. 

On Sunday, I met up with two other craft artists (Erin Pelicano and Kelly Roberts) for a photo shoot at a local Arts Center in Frederick, Md. We have all been interviewed about our business for an article to be published in Sass Magazine in early December. I am familiar with the work of each of these talented artists through our common connection -- The Muse -- but had not had the opportunity to spend time with them. Our shared experiences as artists, mothers, wives, and friends overlapped in numerous ways. It was good to solidify those common connections.

Take some time to think about the shared connections you have going on in your life. When you connect all those dots, it's a good feeling! What we have in common far outweighs what makes us different from each other.