Some time in my forties I began to identify myself as an artist/craftsperson. With the help and support of a 12-Step program called ARTS (www.artsanonymous.org), I slowly came to believe that I could act on that realization. Now, in my 60s, I scour the curbs for good trash to turn into art, take my camera everywhere, have a whole room in my house for a workspace, enjoy turning the bedtime stories into prose, and share my poetry with friends.
The next step was to find a way to share what I make with the wider world. This has also taken time to come to fruition. I sent short stories out -- once -- to little magazines, walked into local stores and galleries a few times with a portfolio of my art, bought booths at a few craft fairs, and edited a self-published book of poems with friends from a poetry reading group. But the Art World doesn't appeal to me, and the feeling is mutual. In contrast, when I established a holiday sale with a half dozen local artists, I found that I love talking to people about what I make, whether they buy anything or not. In 2014, we held our 7th sale, and every year has been a joy.
But the annual sale does not move everything that I make out into the world, especially the two-dimensional creations - stories, photos and poems. For years, I have talked about creating a website to share my arts. Then -- when I was ready -- Missy Washington appeared. She understood what I wanted and had the experience and expertise to make it happen. So, here it is at last, Ann's Artist Trees, ready to be shared with anyone who drops by. If you smile, sigh, or get inspired to do something artful yourself, that will make me very happy!
If you have already made something or written something, that resonates with one of my posts, I would love to hear about it.
If you would like to continue the conversation started on this site, please email me: ann@annfullerarts.com. Thanks for dropping by!
Love,
Ann Fuller
May 26, 2015
