Welcome to the humble beginnings of Fall! Last year around this time I was just getting my Etsy shop going. Most of the work I started with is nolonger in the shop. This is a good thing! It has been a rough year, but am starting to pick up some momentum with regard to finding jobs on the side and creating new images. I am soo glad to have gone through this shit over the last couple years fairly unscathed. So many wonderful and helpful people here in Murray. Personally, I find myself still waiting for the shoe to drop when I meet people. Some of the choices I have made with regard to trusting and relying on people, were very bad! I learned a very hard lesson and am still leery to this day about opening up about anything going on in my life. Like I said before, this was a tough year, but by trusting my gut and holding back a bit it did get better. My level of commitment to anything has really been demostrated this past year. Typically I tend to live in one place/city for around two years and then I have to move elsewhere. I am so used to being disappointed by people and they of me, that I beat them to the chase and go. I have had several career changes by choice and consider my self to be a renaissance women because of it. In spite of all my different gigs in life, I have remained perpetually rootless and aloof. Out and out poverty was the ultimate gift I received this past year. It may sound ridiculous, but when you don't have the money to move and there are next to no jobs available, creativity really sets in.
I say this because it really does! If you have bills to pay and such, you either get moving or die in the process. I prefer the life thing, so I took what little resources I had and started taking photographs again and making earrings to help with the bills. I have often commented that having an arts education is a great luxery. It is, but in my case it gave me the skills to tread water. There is no way I was going to go down without a fight! Currently I have work for sale online and at the Murray Art Guild. I have begun showing my work again and working with a community photography program that I was asked to facilitate, called MAGPix. Good things are happening again all because I have been letting people into my life. To think all this started up because I ran out paint and was in a serious depression over the loss of my mom. Sometimes little things really do make all the difference. So far I am still barely treading water financially, but not emotionally anymore. Have since forgotten about the paint that I wanted and have fully comitted myself to a community and it's people. I still have that urge to move now and again, just not as strongly as before. I have hope, friends, and have put some roots down. Eventually more work/money will follow I just have to trust in the process and show a little more patience. To think of all the chaos of last year, almost losing my father, trying to heal every aspect of my life, and learning to trust the right people. Still a work in progress, but what the hell! I have always loved a challenge in life.
Thanks for catching up with me and the blog,
Cheers,
Stacy Frett
Artist, Phhotographer & Locally Wandering Soul!
