I've Been Published...Sort of.

For the past six weeks, I was a participant in a storytelling workshop for seniors conducted at a local public library by The Moth, an organization dedicated to nurturing and preserving the art of storytelling. (You can learn more about this wonderful organization by visiting this link.) The end of the workshop was marked with an open mike presentation where all the participants told the stories they had honed over the weeks to a live audience. It was an amazing experience made even moreso by the incredible stories we heard from our fellow participants.

Judy Kamilhor, the Coordinator of Older Adult Services for all of Brooklyn Public Library who was responsible for bringing the program to our branch, wanted to post some of our stories on the library webpage and asked if I would be willing to send her my story. I sent her two -- a version of the story I told at the open mike as well as a story that I had written well over twenty years ago. She has graciously placed them on the Words of Wisdom section of the seniors webpage and send me the links which I have pasted below. Please take the time to read them. They're both short but I'm sure you'll be able to relate to at least one of them. After all, it is our experiences, our stories, no matter how different they may be, that teach us how much more we are alike than we are different. Enjoy!

http://www.bklynlibrary.org/seniors/morph
http://www.bklynlibrary.org/seniors/big-day

Ballo ergo sum
- Gitana, the Creative Diva

The Long and Winding Road

(Click on any photo to view a larger image.)

My digital artwork on display above the librar4y stacks.

Sometimes you just don't know when the circumstances of your life will take a turn and lead you in an unexpected direction. A nephew of mine who works for the public library notified me of a storytelling workshop being held at his branch. I agreed to participate in an attempt to get my father, someone who has been writing stories most of his life, to come along. Well, Dad didn't come and I went on my own. At last week's meeting, the staff member who coordinated the storytelling workshop announced the library's first art show and sale taking place this weekend. When I expressed interest in participating but said there was not enough time for me to prepare anything, I was asked if I had any completed work that I could exhibit. Well, heck yeah I've got completed work...lots of it. And so it was that I literally grabbed any work I could lay my hands on and decided what to display at the library.

The display cabinet containing my custom cards.

Remember I said this was a show and sale. There was no way I had the time to set up in the morning, break down at night, repeat the process the following day while manning a vendor table for six hours. That's when I was told that there was a lockable showcase available where I could set up a display for viewing. Okay, I thought, this is a sign that I'm supposed to be here and now it's up to me to take advantage of the opportunity. I set up a quick and dirty display of my cards and ATCs in the showcase and was also granted wall space to exhibit some of my framed digital graphics work.

The display case from another angle.

It is a two day show so I expected to have to pick up my goods sometime on Saturday to clear our the space. Again Providence intervened and I was told that I could leave my cards and digital art work on display until the end of June if I so desired. Wow. Can't get any easier than that. Set up the display and just let it stay for six weeks. But it gets even better. The library staff person coordinating the show asked about one of my cards and I explained it was from a project I created for the senior center for which I used to volunteer. When she heard that, she wondered if such a class could be offered at the library and told me to think about it.

So the workshop I had hoped to get my father interested put me in a place that offered me the opportunity to show my work and possibly start a class in card making. Not too shabby. Now let's see if the exposure leads to anything. Hey, ya never know.

Ballo ergo sum
- Gitana, the Creative Diva