This year, Klee and I had a lot of downtime. Life kind of hit the pause button for us, and we had to step back from doing the things we normally do in the community. And you know what? I learned something important about being a creative human.
As artists, we love our hermit mode. There’s nothing quite like disappearing into the studio, spending hours creating, or just sitting quietly with our thoughts. It’s a beautiful part of the process, but if your only connection to the outside world becomes social media, you might be in trouble.
When Klee got sick and we had to slow down, we made a rule: get off the screens. Disconnect from the endless scroll, the opinions, the algorithms, the illusion of connection. What I noticed during that time was how dark my perception of the world started to get. I was losing track of what really mattered, connecting one-on-one with people.
Listen, we have built a large online community of awesome people over the years, and we love connecting with you, but there’s a reason we communicate mostly through our blogs, YouTube, and Patreon. People have to actively be interested, and it doesn’t leave room for trolls or the unnecessary bull. It feels more real, more intentional, and closer to what true community is supposed to be. But, you can still feel isolated if you don’t get out there every once in a while.
Over the years, I’ve probably repeated the same words in my videos, blogs, and anywhere else someone might listen:
- Create the art you want to create.
- Put yourself and your art out there in whatever way you can.
- Persist through the bullshit (from your mind and the outside world).
Rinse and repeat.
Recently, I came back to that simple doctrine. Somewhere along the way, I complicated things with too many steps, too many goals, and too many checklists. I was trying too hard, and I forgot that the most beautiful thing about being an artist is how organic it can be. Your art career can grow naturally when you allow it to.
Of course, the hardest step is always “persist through the bullshit.” You’ll face rejection, insecurity, fear, and some emotions that don’t even have labels. But if you keep going, it always leads you somewhere meaningful.
I’m so happy we’re out there in the community again, surrounded by creative humans and humans who support the arts. Sure, just like online, there might be some a-holes floating around, but our paths rarely cross when we’re doing awesome things with awesome people.
That’s why we’re really looking forward to our closing reception at The Red Brick Gallery. The opening reception was amazing. We met and talked to so many incredible people while surrounded by our art and Klee’s jewelry. Those moments, where we get to connect face-to-face with others and share what we love, are some of our favorites.
Tomorrow, we’re taking a friend who’s visiting from out of town to see the exhibition, and then we’ll be back for the closing reception on Sunday, November 9th, from 4–6 PM. It’ll be the last day of the show before we pack everything up. If you are curious about what other events we are a part of, check out our EVENTS page.
Right before the reception, ARCA is hosting a truly magical performance titled Rich and Wondrous Sounds: The Wurlitzer Theatre Organ Experience featuring Jonas Nordwall at 2 PM in Lincoln Hall. The newly restored 1928 McKissick Mighty Wurlitzer organ will fill the room with incredible sound: strings, winds, brass, and percussion all rolled into one magnificent experience.
If you’re local, come out, enjoy the music, see some art, and connect with good people. And if you’re not nearby, I encourage you to do the same wherever you are. Go see a show, talk to the artists, laugh with strangers, and remember that real human connection is what keeps the creative spark alive.
Because at the end of the day, art is meant to be shared, and community is where it truly comes to life.
