February/March Update
Last month I started writing an update, and I couldn’t quite get through it. Honestly, the past couple months have been pretty hard. I lost my job just before Thanksgiving, and despite constantly applying to new opportunities, I remain unemployed. I’ve been without work before, but this time I have so much more to lose – not only if I remain unemployed, but also if I have to accept a less flexible job situation than I had in recent years. I built all of the amazing creative pursuits I have in my life around a remote, flexible position at a great payrate. Worrying that it’ll all come crashing down if I don’t find the diamond in the rough* quickly has drained me almost completely. Today, though, I sit here writing from perhaps the most hopeful place I’ve been in a while, so perhaps it’s a good time to tell y’all about what’s going on at Fiercely Serene Studios.
January saw the debut of my first solo art show, Crystalline Worlds. It’s the first time I’ve produced what might be considered a “body of work” and to have a cohesive series of large pieces displayed formally was a great feeling. Even better was having so many of my friends and family show up for the reception, even on short notice. Currently, I’m lining up a couple more opportunities to show this collection, so if you couldn’t make it to that reception, the party may continue… [Follow my art on Instagram: http://instagram.com/fiercelyserene]
February brought Brite Winter around again, Cleveland’s massive outdoor music festival for which the Ingenuity art team creates large-scale interactive pieces all over the grounds. I stepped into a leadership role once more and worked with the Ingeneers team to build a winter scrapbook gone awry! I was also able to work with my partner again to build one of the featured installations, repurposing the lighted floor we built for our ZenSoundScapes installation at last September’s IngenuityFest. It’s always so amazing to see so many people, ideas, and materials come together to make something so unique! [Follow my installations on Instagram: http://instagram.com/fiercelyserene_installations]
Flow has also been progressing, and I was just accepted into Cleveland’s top performing arts group, Fire and Light. Though I’ve had a good number of performance opportunities so far, being part of F&L will open up some very big doors for me to build, grow, and develop my dancing and performance. I’m investing more time into building a duo act with Michael to pitch to festivals and other opportunities too! [Follow my dance on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fiercelyserene_flows/]
I’m pursuing so many things right now, it’s both exciting and overwhelming. I’m still teaching art classes, popping up at craft fairs, continuing my work at Ingenuity, finding ways to work with other local non-profits, booking and running shows at McFarland Manor, supporting Michael in his creative pursuits, always trying to push forward and shape my world to be what I want it to be. It’s working, even if it’s slow progress with a few setbacks, and I’m going to keep doing what I have to for that life!
See you next month!
* I find it important at this time to express my full support for Blue-Will-Smith-Genie in the live action Aladdin. Didn’t try to recreate Robin Williams’ legendary performance, but took the same material and made it his own in a very entertaining and delightful way. Totally unexpected.
