The Mural Chronicles: Imposter Syndrome, Paint Fumes, and Magic in the Air

Let me set the scene for you. The place? Our beloved Oil City Library, which just so happens to be one of the reasons Klee and I fell head over heels for this town. It was like a magnet for our creative souls, and when Marcy—my awesome friend, phenomenal artist, and co-owner of the local gem Woods and River—approached me with a mural project for this very library, how could I say no? Spoiler alert: I didn’t. I was all in, armed with brushes and enthusiasm!

Now, before we dive into the nitty-gritty of this adventure, let me just address something that every artist reading this knows all too well: Imposter Syndrome. Yes, it’s a thing. No, it doesn’t magically disappear when you’ve been doing this art thing for years. And yes, it showed up like an uninvited guest at the mural party. Despite having done murals before, this was one of those rare times where I’d be working with a team of talented artists, and boom—there it was, Imposter Syndrome, making me question if I’d forgotten how to hold a paintbrush. You’d think I was about to go on American Idol. But hey, that’s the artist’s life: confidence is a moving target, and we just push through it and re-establish our awesomeness!

So, after a few days of prepping (because you can’t just waltz into a mural project without a plan,) and some great brainstorming sessions with the local community, we were ready. I have to give major props to the community for their ideas. From book themes to children’s book animals, everyone had thoughts, and believe me, there were enough to fill the library shelves. It was like a crowd-sourced creative explosion.

Fast-forward to mural time. It’s a mix of excitement, nerves, and just enough coffee to power a small country (thank you, Woods And River). As we started, I remembered something: murals are problem-solving on steroids. You can plan all you want, but the moment your brush touches that wall, the surface has its own agenda. It’s like the wall is silently laughing, saying, “Nice try, pal. Let’s see what you’re really made of.”

Three days. That’s how long it took for the magic to really unfold. I watched all these artists, including myself, evolve throughout the process. What started as “Oh my gosh, what am I doing?” turned into “Oh yeah, we’re doing this!”. It’s amazing how teamwork and creativity combine to bring out everyone’s best. And the mural? It’s a beauty.

For those of you who have never had the joy (and mild terror) of working on a mural, it’s basically like herding artistic geese. Paint goes here, no wait—there. Can we move this section up? Is this color too bright? And what about the sun, is it drying this paint faster than we can work? The mural becomes this living, breathing thing, and you’re just along for the ride. The magic happens when you let go of control and start solving problems with a little bit of paint and a lot of heart.

When it was all said and done, I couldn’t have been prouder. Not just of the mural itself (which, if you find yourself at the library, you better take a glance and throw up a heart symbol to it), but of the artists who showed up, put their fears aside, and gave it their all. A huge shout-out to the Oil City Library and Erie Arts and Culture for making this project possible. You guys are awesome!

In other exciting news—because there’s always more brewing around here—we’ve got a meeting tonight (9/19/24) for the upcoming Venango County Makerspace! If you’re an artist, maker, creative soul, or a breathing human, you need to be there. It’s happening at 100 Seneca St (5th floor, baby!), and we want your input. Think tools, resources, classes—this space is going to be a creative haven, and we want YOU to be a part of shaping it. So come share your ideas, and let’s make some magic happen together!

Until next time, keep laughing, keep creating, and always, always embrace the chaos—because that’s where the real magic lives.

See you at the Makerspace!
—Rafi