At the end of 2022 I achieved a goal that I set for myself several years ago. I was inducted into the National Association of Women Artists at the National Arts Club. My path to this moment was not linear (unsurprisingly).
When my now 13-year-old daughter was a baby, I took her to her very first music class in the basement. Truth be told in the depths of my PPD and post IVF hormonal hell, those classes were more for me to get out of the house and to be around other grown ups with babies but I loved being with her in this building. After every class I would walk around the halls of this place with her tiny body strapped to mine and fantasize about my work hanging on the walls. I didn’t even have any “work” yet but it existed way deep down in the depths of my soul. You might remember that in my last life I was a corporate finance lawyer and by the time my baby was born, it had only been three years since I had closed that chapter.
In 2020 I applied for membership to the NAWA and reeling from the very difficult year we had , I was rejected. Ugh. I was sad and very disappointed but as always, I kept working.
It’s really easy to feel like you’re not good and not doing enough. Being an artist can feel very lonely and isolating and yet I get so much energy from that isolation and quiet time to think, experiment and create. Being an artist inside my studio makes me a better person outside my studio and it reminds me to never stop and to keep at it. When I’ve had that time, it makes all the rest of my moments that I get to spend with my people, family and friends, that much more meaningful and valuable. When I put my work out into the world it is very daunting bc it’s a piece of me and a view into my heart, brain and thought process for all the world to see.
This achievement felt like the culmination of all my accomplishments and all my rejections and mistakes. If I’ve learned anything in my life so far it’s to be ok with rejection but not take no for an answer, look for alternative ways, and to always look ahead instead of focusing on what’s behind. I have to consistently work hard not to harp on my failures and the negatives and I view those experiences as part of my story, too. They make me who I am and taught me important lessons that while often very painful, were necessary to get to this moment. It’s an important reminder to keep at it and never give up.
I’m even more proud to share that since I’ve been inducted, I was honored with the Helen Stark Andrey Memorial Award (a juried honor) at the 134th Annual Members Show and my work was recently included in a show for volunteers - Art Angels.
You can visit my NAWA Member page here.
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