Currently: January 10, 2017
First of all, have you heard about my Instagram giveaway?! Head over to instagram.com/klaing_ and find the giveaway post to enter before tomorrow! The wall hanging up for grabs is the second photograph in this blog post series!
I've been living in my apartment a little over a month now and it's finally starting to feel like a home, a piece of me. I like to believe that if a friend were to visit my apartment, she would say, "Oh, this place must belong to Kate." There are tiny details that I adore and I've truly had the greatest time putting together my own space. That said, here's a little peek at the details of my home! (Not pictured :: the prized vacuum I received as a Christmas gift.)
Currently: January 3, 2017
Lesson learned, plans to come ::
1. If I stand in the middle of bravery and fear for too long, I'll starve to death. I'll battle which way I'm going to let the chopped tree fall and wither away into a puddly mess. No nourishment. No light to grow towards the sun. I found myself trapped in that place between August and November. I finally fell towards bravery in December and opportunities have sprouted from the planted roots of indecisiveness and stillness. Lesson learned :: movement and growth are so absolutely essential, but so is the middle ground because it fuels the fire to melt the frozen stream. Bravery is my word for 2017.
2. I'm so eager for a free, warmer weekend soon to get back outside for the purpose of exploration and foraging. Finding natural oddities to manipulate into sculpture and wreathes has woven into my soul. In the meantime, I have a bag full of dried hydrangeas (pictured above -- the shadows!!!) awaiting my hands to use in a passion project. Perhaps I'll install a few to hang from the ceiling of my apartment studio space because -- the shadows!!!
3. Bravery Mission. This is a near and dear project born in 2016 that has taken root. The previously blank journal now has a few submissions of bravery stories from anonymous writers. I hope you'll join me at the table in 2017 to share the brave and courageous spaces and stories in your daily life -- my prayer is that someday, Bravery Mission will be a web of anonymous musings that encourage readers in their own deeply rooted, lionhearted bravery. Click {here} to submit your own anonymous Bravery Mission story and click {here} to explore the project.
4. In connection to Bravery Mission, I'm in the very, very beginning stages of writing a book by the same name. "Bravery Mission" will be a collection of essays of experiences I've had, courageous moments I've recognized in others, and pieces influenced by the posts in the Bravery Mission blog. I want my book to reflect bravery in all spaces of life as I hope to empower fellow humans, ladies especially, and help them recognize that bravery is already there — even when fear seems to be pulling you under.
5. I was a camp counselor for four summers at Camp Fontanelle, and seeing as I won't be able to return this summer as a staff member, it's on my heart to continue to serve the place that's shaken my life in the best way. 10% of any sale made from my KATEWORKS Shop from now on will be put towards sponsoring a camper's week at camp because I so strongly believe in the importance of camping ministry. Know that when you purchase my work, you will be blessing a camper's life and faith journey, and that truly means something valuable.
6. I can't say much right now so this is a playful teaser -- I've been in contact with a few artists whose work and philosophies closely resonate with my own and we will be discussing potential collaboration opportunities in the future! The community and encouragement aspect I've found with these creatives is vital to my current practice, especially as I graduated from my college art clan last May. Stay tuned... ;)
7. I'm sure I have another plan nestled into my brain besides this last one, though I'm having trouble digging it up (mainly because I woke up this morning at 4:30 a.m., drove 2.5 hours to Grand Island from Omaha, then worked from 8-5. EEK). So! The last bit I'll share is that I'm going to be website and social media strategizing -- defining my brand in a more solid, accurate representation of my artist voice and what I want my work and words to portray. This means I'll be working on majorly updating my website and coming up with a game plan for my online presence! Intentionality and purpose are biggie goals for 2017.
My heart and soul are so prepared for what 2017 is holding in her arms as she knocks eagerly at my front door. I'm welcoming her warmly with these creative opportunities and chances to connect with my fellow humans. What is 2017 knocking at your door with??
Currently: December 27, 2016
2016 provided both beautiful moments and tedious growth. Thesis. Navigating the post-college world. Trying to sketch out a life for myself in the midst of life-shaking change. I'll be processing the past twelve months in the next couple of days and have it on my heart to write more about how my heart moved and changed... in the meantime, here are some (but certainly not all) of my fondest and proudest moments of 2016.
I literally trudged through a white out blizzard with my art pals and roommates, Mel & Katherine, in three feet of snow from my house to the studio for the sake of my thesis. This was a few days before my big faculty review that would say whether I would have my show or not. Needless to say, a blizzard wouldn't stop me from working on my labor of tedious love.
"Rachel the Raccoon's Camp Adventures" is a beloved tale that originated at Camp Fontanelle. Jonathan approached me last year to see if I'd be interested in developing the characters and illustration work to collaborate on a children's book. We had it published earlier this year and have shipped off many signed copies to children and adults alike — everybody can find camp magic in this sweet story. I also found a way to sneak basset hounds into the illustrations., so that was a success in itself.
Finishing my thesis with my lecture presentation and show reception on March 13 brought the absolute craziest range of bittersweet emotions. To anxiously work for eight months so intensely and all of a sudden be finished was surreal and also the greatest burden lifted off my shoulders. Talking about my work in front of a crowd of people I hold in my heart, then seeing their reactions as they explored what my hands made, hearing what they thought... I never, ever want to forget that experience. Full video documentation of my show and a copy of my artist statement can be found :: here.
The end of thesis brought on extra time for new routes of creating! This was a project that I never really finished but I'm still intrigued in continuing it and I have a sketchbook of future project ideas. Dabbling in textile art & working with foraged materials over the last year will continue to be passion projects.
This was one of the last times the Three Amigas were able to spend time together before graduation and this was absolutely one of my favorite days with my two college best friends. We conquered Do The Brew with pretzel necklaces and beaming hearts. We also had the best night at Paige's wedding back in January. And we went for countless pie dates. I could honestly do a whole blog post about all of our friend adventures.
I graduated from Hastings College with a Studio Art degree in May and went right back to the studio after I received my diploma. A million hours were spent outside the sculpture garage and in my forest corner in the downstairs studio. It only made sense to culminate graduation with a visit back to my second (maybe first???) home.
Oooo my fourth and final year as a camp counselor / lead staff at Camp Fontanelle was my favorite yet. This one was full of discernment and God giving me other people to help me figure out where my life was supposed to head after the summer. The staff was skippy and I'm thankful that they put up with my antics. (I claim this bed!!) Of course, I love all of my campers dearly but God certainly and intentionally placed a few in my life. These girls have made me want to be a better person and they fuel my fire to write and create. I love them to pieces and I feel like I have bonus little sisters. Immensely thankful for all the ways that Camp Fontanelle has served me and allowed me to serve.
The end of camp brought a season of deep confusion and feeling lost in the wilderness. I had a few months of unsuccessful job searching and even more soul searching. So, I took a train to visit Mel in Colorado. I found God everywhere I looked — in the trees with beards, the time with friends, and the mountains told me that God created the landscape masterpiece, so He could help me create my life and I didn't need to be fearful. Running to the mountains was just about the healthiest thing I could have done for myself.
Finishing thesis brought on a six month hiatus from art. I had ideas but I never made anything in that time. I started weaving in October and developed a winter weaving collection that was ready to go in November — a little extra cash flow (always nice for a maker!) and a step into getting my hands into moving again.
In late November, I accepted a job as the Publications Coordinator at Trinity United Methodist Church in Grand Island, NE. I bought a car, moved into an apartment and started my job in a two week span and quickly faced a lot of what I'd feared about the "adult" world. I am having the absolute best time making my apartment into a home filled with items that bring me joy and have a purpose. I'm learning to live alone in this quiet sanctuary and creative space — a place I can come back to after I spend the day writing and designing content for the church.
I was gifted with sisters who are my friends too and this is just one recent moment with them that I treasure dearly. The simplest days with my family are the ones I hold the closest and oh, there are so many with my immediate family and those who I consider that.
I'm going to be writing another blog post in the next couple of days to try and process all of the elaborate growth I've experienced over the past year. I look back on these memories and think about the less than shiny ones in between, and I'm obsessively grateful for all of it. I can see a Kate who I truly can admire emerging in a whirlwind of bravery and creativity and a desire to love that runs deep. I have a lot planned for 2017 and I am practically wiggling in anticipation for what is to come... I am going to write a book about bravery. I'm going to make things. I'm going to love humans as hard as I can.
Currently: December 20, 2016
A few weeks ago, I tweeted about foraging. My sweet Twitter friend, Sophie, lives in the White Mountains of New Hampshire and responded that she felt inspired to go foraging too because of her location's prime natural territory. Earlier today, she tweeted me a blog link to her experiences and man, what she wrote resonates deep into my bones.
Please, please go read her blog — to entice you, here's a little excerpt from a piece of golden writing ::
And I didn’t just find my words out there. I found a little piece of myself. I learned that sometimes it begins as an attempt at foraging for beautiful things, and it ends with realizing that maybe you are one of those beautiful things. That maybe you aren’t lost in the forest, but merely waiting to be discovered by someone who will see you for your worth. That maybe, under all that imperfection, there is a purpose and a passion and a reason for this journey that God has put you on.
I was actually reminded of something I once told someone in a letter. And maybe those are some words we all need to hear: Once upon a time, God looked at the stars and the moon and the incredibly vast and complex universe that He had created, and decided that He needed—wanted—one of you, too. You are His marvelous creation. Remember that. Every time you feel pointless or purposeless or like you have no business doing His business, remember that, darling.
I hope maybe this leaves you with a reminder that you are a beautiful creation, even more beautiful than the mountains and the stars and the moon combined because God handcrafted you, down to every single hair on your head.
Much love and Merry-Almost-Christmas,
Kate
Currently: December 13, 2016
If I could spend three hours writing love letters to strangers, I'd do it. And maybe I will do it, for one day at least. The Twelve Days of Letter Writing continues with Nancy's story — a beautiful woman who floods the world with joy and faith even though she lives with myotonic dystrophy. A family friend of Nancy's has requested a bundle of love letters to be written and sent with words of faith and empowerment — read on and write on.
On the ninth day of love letter writing...
"Nancy is someone who brings joy to every room regardless of the condition she is in. I have known Nancy since I was four or five years old, as she is one of my mother's best friends. Nancy has myotonic dystrophy and wasn't expected to make it past her 30s. I truly believe her strong faith and joyful soul has lead her to be alive today (she's in her late 50s).
She has begun to deteriorate faster though and is currently undergoing radiation therapy, and her husband Bruce became a CNA to take care of her father and her. Nancy's father passed away this summer, leaving her without any family. Nancy's family is my everything.
Although she is in a wheelchair now, Nancy is the star of my every room we walk into. Our entire small town knows her, and she could talk and laugh for hours with anyone. She's on the prayer committee within her parish, and she is always thinking and praying about others instead of herself.
She recently had to go in for a biopsy and is at risk of thyroid cancer. She's always so hopeful but I think now more than ever is when she deserves these letters. Some days she feels so good, but more and more she has bad days, when she must stay home. As the social butterfly she is, I'm worried being stuck at home will decrease her joy and warm heart, and letters of support and love could be just what she needs to continue fighting.
There is no one else in this world who deserves a bundle of love more than this woman, who had become my second mom entirely. I would give anything to give her this gift of love and support."
PLEASE SEND ALL LOVE LETTERS TO ::
Nancy's Bundle
C/O BethAnn Z.
1917 State Street
La Crosse, WI 54601
USA
Please postmark all love letters by December 27, 2016.
To learn more about The Twelve Days of Letter Writing, please visit my previous blog post.
Also! There are eight other stories on moreloveletters.com about brave and kind and strong humans who need to be reminded of that. What in your day can you cut out to write a love letter or two or twelve to a stranger?