After relocating to this quaint little abode in Ojai, where the fledgling hawks are calling out mercilessly for food, I've been doing alot of thinking. As an artist, as a human, as a woman. I believe it's my duty to reflect on the important questions, the questions that seemingly do not have answers yet. I've never been one to avoid the deeper thinking or the plague of real intense emotion that ebbs and flows. I want those questions that stir the soul to knock on my door and provide an impetice for real change. The questions that seem to be hovering above me at the moment are " How is my art a means of making this world a better place?" and "How can I create more of a positive impact through my art within my community?"
As a weaver, I've come to develop my understanding of energy even more acutely. Weaving is comprised of two forces, the weft and the warp. It's an intersection that brings matter into form. The relationship between the threads is what will provide a limitless use for the final product or material. Warp and weft, like feminine and masculine, are foundational. Thankfully my cup from day one as an artist, has been supported by the feminine. My patrons, fellow artists of varying mediums, have cloaked me in loving words and opportunities to refine my skills. My muses are vast and the collection of creative women in my life abounds. I began Woven Woman Wednesdays a while back on Instagram and immediately became overwhelmed by the lists long of women working with their hands: tiny, paint splattered, nimble fingered hands in every shade of the rainbow. The more overjoyed I became sifting through endless lists of feminine forces in my life, I began to notice the imbalance of the masculine. I felt there was a need to paint a harmonized image with both the lady makers and the man makers. So, this blog will be the field in which we unite the forces. And momentarily, this feels like a proactive quest for understanding my own artistic experience within a community.
Man Makers for me is a way to connect the infinite spider web with men who tell their experiences and deepest understandings of life with their hands. I'm aspiring to create a hub where Ghost Dancer clients may come to peruse the collections of artists who make this world a more beautiful place. When I envision a cohesive community, I see a glowing fire in the middle of it's gathering space. Each individual comes to this space to be heard, to be supported and acknowledged. Around this allegorical fire, we tell our stories and our perspectives, our follies and rewards landscaped into wisdom....landscaped into beauty. Man Makers is space for each of these male storytellers to express their myths and ethos. It's a platform where there is breathing space to divulge just an ounce more of thought behind each image or each piece carved. I'm collecting makers whose quality is exceptional and crafted with pride. Here, as a tiny spider weaving a web, may I offer a wide range of artisanal goods and network the glimmering world together. Be it a visit for visual inspiration, a gift for a friend, an investment in a painting or a mellifluous song, all arises from the palms and fingers of a maker. It's always been such a pleasure collecting goods from some of my fellow makers and now, through this web, many more can come to understand who inspires me and how to trail the experience. Connect, collect, be inspired and go make.
These are the architects of thoughtfulness I would like to share with everyone. These are the vessels of masculine divinity expressing itself and making this world a more meaningful place through art and the nature of hand made. Enjoy.
Image by Edward Streenan
