You have to be strong to be a creative person. Y'all have seen Nailed It on Netflix, right? Proof that expectation rarely matches reality. To be creative, you can't think, "that was a failure, never doing that again," you have to accept that your first fifty cakes are going to look like they were made out of trash by a raccoon and be cool with it. Never fear, cake fifty-one will be dope, and all those other folks who quit after cake one are gonna be super jealous.

I can’t even begin to explain the many ways the arts have positively impacted my life. From dance classes helping me with balance as a child, to theater helping me come out of my shell in high school, to songwriting helping me process big life events and connect with others. The arts are a necessity for a life well-lived. And the most beautiful thing about them is that they benefit the creator in the process, regardless of the end result.

A couple days ago, I started to write this epic autobiography on how art has helped shape who I am. You are not reading that. What you are getting is this. Art has helped me during every major event in my life and continues to be a major part of my life. Signed band-geek- artfarting-photographer- seamstress-woodworking-strange-weirdo-creator-of-stuff. Also, I LOVE ALL THE PEOPLE ART BROUGHT ME TO.

Dan Butner has asked me to take the #RiseUpArts Challenge to share a story about how the arts have positively impacted my life. That’s tough. As far as anyone could tell, I had no discernible talent. But one day I saw that Foothills Theatre was going to try to stage Fiddler On The Roof, one of my favorite movies, and impulsively I decided to audition. I hadn’t done a play since high school and knew almost no one. To my amazement, I was cast as Golde and a whole new world opened up for me. My friend Gary Maxey was Tevye and we all had such fun! We never staged that show, but the theater bug had bitten me and I was lost. Since then, theater has changed my life, given me friends I might never have met otherwise, and started some creative engines. To be on stage, to bring a 2-dimensional character to glorious 3-dimensional life, and connect with an audience, are priceless treasures. I am more confident, more interested, and more open since I found I could put on someone else’s persona for a while,, and bring an audience along with me. Now I act when I can and make memories every time. George Eliot said, “Acting is nothing more or less than playing. The idea is to humanize life.” And that’s worth celebrating.

Dammit Dan, I'm over here freaking out about Covid-19, struggling through the endless unknowns and constant changes at work, guiding my kids through online school, and trying not to panic at the thought of what this economic crisis will do to all of us, and you want me to stop and share my warm fuzzies about the arts? Well... actually...yes, that does sound like a more productive use of my time. Ok, then. I have always been a lover of the arts - all forms. But can't ever consider myself an artist. Art was my favorite class in elementary school. I joined band in middle school. I took a photography class in high-school. I discovered theater in graduate school. Seven years ago I took part in my first Foothills theater production and have done 10 or so shows with them since. The past week I have found joy in so many peoples music videos on Facebook - especially the quarantine parodies. Art is what gets us through the hard and confusing times, what connects us to our community, and what reveals the strength within us we didn't know was there. I am grateful for Foothills Arts Center and look forward to being back in the building when all of this is over.

The arts have this unique ability to transcend and connect all other disciplines, and through art, I have fallen in love with fields I may not have otherwise considered or understood. Identifying and appreciating patterns and textures and colors is how I make sense of the world. By recognizing my affinity for creativity at an early age, choosing a career in art education, and developing my own studio habits, I am constantly in the pursuit of all things art. When I press my paintbrush into fresh oil paint or apply creamy pastels to paper, I become focused and calm - it’s the only form of meditation my active mind will ever achieve. Art allows me the freedom to express, explore, and experiment. What could be more enriching than that?

I moved to Elkin in 2007, and the Yadkin Valley Craft Guild had just gotten a Grant to teach “Heritage Arts.” Quilting was offered, and I jumped on it and signed up as their first apprentice. They had us sign a promise to further the Arts. Friends I’d just met wanted to start a guild, and I helped put together Foothills Quilters and their first Quilt Show at Galloway Episcopal Church, which is going strong for twelve years and has donated over 50 quilts per year to the community. This class held at FAC opened the door to many friendships with many artists and new opportunities in the community. I opened a Quilt Shop “SewWelcome” with the help of a dear friend Carol Deason McDowell, and in the two years we were open, we sold over 200 quilts, which allowed our friends extra money to pursue their art. As a Gallery, we were able to introduce various types of quilts and tell their stories - most quilts have a story, don’t ya know? Unfortunately, between both our parents falling ill about the same time and found I had breast cancer, it got to be too much. Since then, I've been able to help two students using quilting as their Senior Projects. I have four grandchildren, and I’m proud to say 3 of the 4 can quilt.....and have won ribbons to prove it. Because of my love of quilting, I’ve also become a fabric hoarder - when the call went out for fabric face masks, I knew it was something I could do to help the community while in quarantine. It’s incredible how one Grant given to a community can make a difference in so many lives.