Cheers to All the Inner Artists in You

If I were a visual artist, I’d be a fiber artist, using the tools and traditions of all the women who came before me and whose artistry was often overlooked.

If I were a singer, I’d be a folk singer or maybe a soft rock artist, the type who tells stories in their songs.

If I were an actor, I’d gravitate towards the stage. There’s nothing wrong with film or television, but nothing beats the energetic connection between an artist and a live audience.

If I were a poet, I’d write poems about history and the unsung individuals history so rarely celebrates.

As an amateur or an enthusiast, I’ve dabbled in all of these arts, and I cherish memories and mementos from those dabblings that bring me joy and a sense of accomplishment. I am all of those artists, and each of them have informed the art I love the most—writing—the only one I do professionally.

As we look back on one of the world’s most challenging years, let’s take note of how all of the artists inside each of us stepped up to help us get through this difficult time and how all of the professional artists leaned into their talents, skills, and passions to give us hope and inspiration.

A new year beckons, with new art to explore and new solutions to uncover, and our souls have grown stronger and wiser through this year’s tribulations. We’re coming out of a long, dark sleep. It’s time, as Carly Simon says, to “Let all the dreamers wake the nation.”

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