cultivate this voice that art has given me...

a stream of consciousness excerpt on building community, a brand and a loyal following.

 

 

the internet is an incredible place.

the connections it fosters,

the information it provides,

the world it opens up,

and the ease in which it allows us access to, well, everything.

 

i mean right now you are reading my thoughts.

a free writing exercise with an instant exchange.

what we put out there into cyberspace has the ability to reach hundreds, thousands, millions...instantly.

 

it is truly a gift,

and i am more than a bit embarrassed to admit that i most likely would find it quite difficult to function without it!

 

but are we making the best of this freedom or are we making it "noisy"?

 

As an artist, entrepreneur, and consumer it is not always easy to maneuver through the mire.

as i am both part of the noise and seeker of it.

 

so the question i ask myself is...

how can what i do today make a difference?

be different?

make an impact?

make a connection?

empower the creative?

open a door?

foster a change?

broaden the scope?

 

this exchange of ideas and conversations is what is exciting to me right now.

 

it has been really easy for me to build a bubble around myself as an artist,

a color-filled sense of shelter that is strengthened by the dissociative wall the internet provides.

 

i am beginning by branching outside of my introverted comfort zone and talking to people (real people)

taking more workshops, rather than just teaching them

watching,

listening,

absorbing,

connecting to the life around me.

 

i want to build a career that is inclusive of all things,

experiences,

and most of all conversations.

 

Art is such a big part of who i am today,

it allows me expression and gives me a voice that i didn't know i could have.

 

to grow i know i must make myself vulnerable,

vulnerable to the failures,

vulnerable to the successes,

and vulnerable to the opportunities.

 

i share this free-flowing thought process with you today because i want to encourage you to dream,

encourage you to take a moment and free-write what it is you want to build

and encourage you to seek it out.

 

i also want to use this platform to cultivate this voice that art has given me.

 

What do i truly want?

i want to make connections.

i want to be heard.

i want to feel like i make a difference.

i want to feel like i am a valuable part of something bigger.

As a working Artist i want to be a part of this connection.

Hell, it is one of the best feelings in the world when my art resonates with someone else.

 

What is it you want from your artistic community?

whether it is online or in person, what is your part in attaining it?

 

2 questions that have been a recurring part of my daily conversations with myself.

 

and the answer is,

i want my art to have a positive affect on those who see and seek it.

 

- donna downey • 3.16.17

 

 

the practice of free-writing is a great way to reveal the truths lying sometimes just below the surface.

what i do and how i interact with an audience is part of who i am.

challenging myself to see that differently is potentially the catalyst for the next idea.

 

 

Comments

[DeeDee Catron]

You are incredibly inspiring -- as a person, as an artist, as an entrepreneur, as a wife & mother. Thanks for being so real and making the rest of us feel inspired while remaining real and grounded.

[Terri]

Though I don't know you, I feel like I "know" you and I never thought of you as introverted! 😕 If it's true, you are truly inspiring!