We've often talked about connections--no wonder, since it's part of our name and our mission! I was reminded again of the power of meaningful connections last weekend when I attended the Visual Art Exchange Summit. This daylong event brought together a variety of people in the Triangle (Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill, NC) who work in the arts, including arts administrators, consultants, makers, museum directors, teachers, etc. to ask the sometimes difficult questions about inclusion, diversity, community relations and presentation of challenging artwork. It was a stimulating day, filled with more questions than answers, but productive dialogue around these topics is a great jumping-off point for viable future solutions.
One of the breakout sessions revolved around the notion that meaningful connections between people and among groups form the basis of shared trust, commonality of experience, and knowledge, which can then lead to positive change, collaboration, and forward progress. Yes, this sounds easy, and is probably pretty intuitive, but how many of us really take the time to do it in our daily interactions? By taking the time to seek out information from the person across the table or over the telephone, you'll find areas of shared experience which will lead to greater understanding. Even if it's someone with whom you've worked before, you may find amazing things you share. Case in point: I have a colleague with whom I've worked for about a year in my disability arts teaching and board of director roles, but it wasn't until we sat together at the Summit that we discovered we both have had spinal fusion surgery (albeit 34 years apart)! Something clicked into place for both of us upon the realization that we share something very few people do--and we almost simultaneously said "I KNEW there was a reason I liked you!" Our future collaborations will be informed by this realization, and our relationship will be stronger because of it. Cool, right?!
We know our Creative Explorers will make many meaningful connections during our time together in October. There will be ample time to ask, learn, and discover the wonderful things we share as creative women. It's already shaping up to be quite the event, and we can't wait to welcome you into the Circle! Time is passing quickly, but there is still time to take advantage of our payment options. Your deposit is your first step on the Your Creative Connection journey, so don't delay--register today. And, if you know of a woman who loves all things mixed media as much as you do, make the connection with her, and share our information--we'd love to welcome her into our Circle too!
Until next time,
MDP
