Friday, November 15, 2013

Storyteller's Journey

My Creative Cave

When my husband mentioned that he would like to participate in a county-wide open studio art tour all I could do was freak out over the thought that strangers would see my "creative cave" in all its magnificent messiness. As it turned out, cleaning off my writer's table was an enlightening experience. As I perused through the piles of paper - tossing and filing as I proceeded - I was amazed at the amount of notes, hand-outs, and folders I had accumulated from the variety of retreats, classes, and conferences I've attended over the years. Not surprisingly, I discovered some "buried treasures" amongst the mess.

Here is a quote from the British author, Stephen Leather, that I thought should be read daily, so I taped it next to my work area as a reminder:

Percent is one word. What can I say...math is not my thing!

After all the preparation, the Clark County Open Studios tour turned out to not only be a great event for my husband and the rest of the fifty participants, it was encouraging to me. Unbeknownst to me, as I greeted visitors upstairs, a few folks downstairs in our shared basement studio asked Michael about my writing. Evidently, they saw the "one-sheets" I have hanging in my work area for each of my manuscripts. As many of the visitors departed our home they complimented me on my stories. What sweet people to show an interest in an aspect of the tour that was not even a focus. Thanks to everyone who attended the first Clark County Open Studios tour!

It was special to have several of my writer friends visit our studio and chat for a bit. A big "thank you" to Carolyn, Mike, Kriston, BJ, and Deb for stopping by the open studio last weekend - you guys are great!

Lastly, a very special thanks to our dear friends, Camila Morrison and Nila Baker. These two lovely and talented ladies volunteered to help during the tour in our home. We couldn't have welcomed the nearly 150 people we had visit our studio last weekend without them!