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“Just do your work.
And if the world needs your work, it will come and get you. And if it doesn’t, do your work anyway. You can have fantasies about having control over the world, but I know I can barely control my kitchen sink. That is the grace I am given. Because when one can control things, one is limited to one’s own vision.”
-Kiki Smith
Image: Studio Work Table, ©2014 Mary Daniel Hobson
Six of us, myself included, gathered on a recent Monday evening in my studio to celebrate a friend's birthday by making postcards for the Traveling Postcards Project. Amid the sounds of shuffling paper, scissors slicing and easy conversation, we each crafted a 4 x 6"card for an anonymous woman in need of support. It was a lovely way to channel our creative energy into a meaningful gift for someone else while enjoying tea and chocolate birthday cake.
The Traveling Postcards Project was founded by Caroline Lovell, and the cards created are delivered by her organization to women in shelters recovering from abuse. As Caroline says, "Creating postcards that incorporate both art and words may seem like a small action, but it is exactly what most women want; voice, visibility and compassionate caring. Receiving a card that is both beautiful and meaningful from a stranger is empowering. Knowing that you are not alone and that someone is trying to help can create resiliency. None of us can hope to effect change single handedly, but together, through collective action, we can help each other."
For me, it was so inspiring to create art as an anonymous gift for someone else. I also loved offering a hands-on artmaking event in my studio. I realize, although I have hosted many events - from Open Studios to mentoring, group critiques, artist gatherings and more - that I have rarely pulled out the art supplies and invited people to just create with me in my studio. It was such fun and I look forward to doing something like this again soon.
You could see the postcards we made that night on the Traveling Postcards facebook page. If you are interested in learning how to make your own card, please click here.
