Dear Creative Community,
Summer! It is here! With all the chirping birds, full green trees and sun! Nature show us time and time is the theme of my creative thoughts this season.
This month Linda Ellis’ poem, The Dash Between comes to mind. Here is an excerpt:
I think of this dash every time I share my work. My art is what I want to share with the world—a little piece of creativity and joy.
That is why my website has a dash. Mary dash Cleary is a place where I can share this joy with you. The dash is important because what we do matters. Our time matters. Whatever it is that you want to experience, do, and make in that dash, do it.
For me, that’s making art.
This June I had the tremendous opportunity to spend some time at an artist residency at Sophie Blackall’s Milkwood Farm. This is a place where creative time blooms in abundance, artists share community, knowledge and story and nature gives great big hugs.
Since words do not do it justice…
MILKWOOD FARM
RESIDENCY FOR WRITERS AND ILLUSTRATORS
Children’s Book Library at Milkwood
Calf Barn Art Studio
The Hay Loft
Sophie Blackall, Ed Schmidt, Rachel Q. Broihier, Mary Cleary, Karen Knighton, Ann Dee Ellis, Amelia Brunskill, Amy Sklansky, Anita Cheung, Sophia Vincent Guy, Kesha Grant, and Lexi K. Nilson.
Speaking of fun, creative energy, mark your calendars for the weekend of September 26-27. Join me and see my work at the Fun-Sized Art Festival in Northampton.
You can also join me at one of my watercolor workshops coming this fall at the Northampton Center for the Arts. More to come on that soon!
As we think about all the ways we spend our dash, I invite you to consider what it is you value and cherish. How do you want to spend your time this season? How do you want to make your dash?
Be Creative,
Mary
P.s. Speaking of time and nature, I have a flock of hummingbirds dashing about on a new neurodivergent-positive sticker in my shop. Dash on over and bring a cute little hummingbird home.
