“A change is brought about because ordinary people do extraordinary things.”
-Barack Obama
We are, every one of us, ordinary. There is little at base that separates one from another although we all exist among layers and layers of differentiating circumstances. Each human is born to the very same world and is subject to the very same processes of growth and death. And yet, there exists among us an incalculable variety of ways to navigate the path upon which we find ourselves. It is those who rise up above the surface, gather their courage and do the very hard work, refusing to give up even in the face of seemingly insurmountable obstacles – they are who become the change makers. They are who shape the future.
Kat Larson‘s art practice is heavily focused on her Reiki healing practice. About a year before she spoke to us, she made a concerted decision about how she arrives to her healing practice. Prior to her present shift, she worked primarily in video and performance. These days Larson works as a Reiki master offering individual healing as well as corporate healing. She has also recently begun reading Tarot – a large part of her business at present. She approaches Tarot by using the stories of the symbols as a form of creative therapy. To hear more about her practice, including a discussion on the feminist history of the Mother Peace Tarot deck she uses in her readings, and much more, listen to the complete interview.
Roger Wing lives and works in Philadelphia where he was busy with an outdoor tree carving at the time of interview. Wing has been a wood carver for about 30 years. Over the years he got involved in ice carving which opened him up to how to make larger scale carvings with wood. These days he completes quite a lot of commissions for people using trees that have died but are still rooted in the ground. The carving he was working on when we spoke was an 8 foot tall Ash tree trunk that had succumbed to the Emerald Ash Borer that Wing was turning into a family of Rabbits. To hear more about Roger Wings many projects and his experience working with both ice and wood (sometimes at the same time – and once during a Sanctuary City hearing in Philadephia), as well as a recent addition to his repertoire in the form of sand carving, listen to the complete interview.
A Few Words to Keep in your Pocket:
Each of us has the potential to change the world – only some have the drive to unlock it.
Interviews are available on iTunes as podcasts, and for Android please click here. All weekly essay pieces in a shareable format are here. The full archive of interviews here.
Books to Read
What are you reading? Add your titles to our reading list here. Kat Larson is reading One Mind by Larry Dossey. Roger Wing recommends Overstory by Richard Powers.
Deadlines
Funding Arts Broward (FAB!) is a grant program that seeks to enrich the arts community of Broward, Palm Beach and Miami-Dade Counties, Florida. They are currently accepting applications for the 2021 FAB Grant cycle. If you live in the area and wish to apply, visit the website for more details. Deadline for applications is January 24.
Weekly Edited Grant and Residency Deadlines – review the list here.
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Brainard Carey is an author, artist and educator. He is the director of Praxis Center for Aesthetics. He has written six books for artists; Making it in the Art World, New Markets for Artists, The Art World Demystified, Fund Your Dreams Like a Creative Genius, Sell Online Like a Creative Genius and Succeed with Social Media Like a Creative Genius.