I hate the question can a woman be a mother and an artist, because obviously she can. It’s generally not the woman’s limitation. It’s not about her ability or talent. The issue isn’t can a woman be two things, it’s will we support her in the pursuit of these two things. Has she seen these things modeled? I hear all day long how the work of motherhood and being a wife interrupts the work women feel they are on earth to do. I have some sneaking suspicions on what mysterious force may be making us question can we be what we want to be, have children and relationships. It’s possible some systems have been created that are predicated on the uncompensated and invisible labor of women and it’s less a question of what we’re capable of and more where we keep finding ourselves confined.
Ever since
introduced me to the work of I have been obsessed. I read her piece about Connie Converse, listened to it and then quickly devoured every other artist she had covered. The premise is simple, “LOST ART features longform, lyrical essays about creative work by dead women. Also the unfamous, underappreciated, and/or overlooked among the living.” I could try to be more specific or eloquent but really I love everything about it. I love what Sarah’s mulling over, I love the people she chooses to tell us about, I love everything about it. I had a feeling that even though Sarah was super gracious and open to being on the pod if I just stared at her and kept saying I just love your work she might get weirded out and it wouldn’t be that great of an episode. In trying to find the words of why I kept coming back to her work and wanted to talk to her about, her own words gave me clarity. I feel a kinship because she like me is trying to figure out how do we keep going? How do you keep making things no matter what? I have no clue but I feel so comforted by someone else asking it aloud and writing so well about it.I’ve spent a lot of this discussing LOST ART and do in the episode as well but Sarah’s memoir Joy Enough is also fantastic and I highly recommend it.
xx. A
I’m working on a new project and I would love your help. Tell me what you love. I’m looking to hear about personal, idiosyncratic loves, less a given such as I love my family, children, partner, pet type stuff and more there’s a candy I can only get in Mexico and I dream about it. I want to know what you specifically, enthusiastically love.
Let me know if these examples are helpful, or feel free to leave me a voice message telling me what you love.
Examples:
Amazing you love The Simpsons (or whatever show), what episode solidified it for you?
Do you have a nostalgia snack?
Do you have a lipstick/perfume/scent you’ve been wearing or taking sniffs of since middle school?
Is there an artist you love, but a particular work that really pushed you over the edge solidifying the love affair?
A book that changed your life?
Did you really really really love a specific member of your family? I know I said no family but I mean this like did you intensely love a wacky Great Aunt who shaped you in some way?
Truly it can be anything but ideally I could see it, watch it, eat it or be able to find out more about it.
Ep. 87 Art Making, Creativity and How We Keep Going with Sarah McColl