“Perhaps all the dragons in our lives are princesses who are only waiting to see us act, just once, with beauty and courage. Perhaps everything that frightens us is, in its deepest essence, something helpless that wants our love.”
-Rainer Maria Rilke, Letters to a Young Poet
Often, what seems like a setback can reveal itself to be a growth experience. We may experience hardship and, in the moment, feel as though we don’t know how we will overcome the obstacle before us. But with some time and distance, many things that at first seemed insurmountable turn out to be those moments in our lives that turned us onto a better path.
Donna Green joined us to discuss her current show, At Last, No More, which is on view until February 24 at HB381 in New York. The title of the show comes from a poem by John O’Donohue, A Morning Offering. A friend gave a copy of the poem to Green, who pinned it to her wall and saw it daily. It was the final stanza of the poem, a yearning for the courage to finally follow the heart, that gave up the words for the title:
May I have the courage today
To live the life that I would love,
To postpone my dream no longer
But do at last what I came here for
And waste my heart on fear no more.
To learn more about Green’s work, including this show, listen to the complete interview.
Sydney G. James talked with us about her show, Girl Raised in Detroit, which ran until September at the Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit. The title is autobiographical, speaking to the painter and muralist’s upbringing and connection to the city. Her murals, which have become her career, have become a big part of her identity and how she interacts with the city. To learn more, listen to the complete interview.
Outings
Join me at HB381 for At Last, No More, new ceramic works by Donna Green
A few words to keep in your pocket
Was there a moment in your life that at first felt difficult to endure only to eventually change things in ways you could not imagine?
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 is here.
More books to read
Ours is a community of readers. Tell us what books you’re into these days by adding your titles to our reading list here. Praxis member Sandi Ludescher recently finished Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver and began another of her books, Animal Dreams.
Tulsa Artist Fellowship offers comprehensive support, including a $150,000 stipend and $36,000 housing allowance over three years. Participants enjoy fully subsidized studio space in Tulsa’s Arts and Greenwood Districts, with access to shared facilities valued at $27,000 over three years. Additional benefits include studio assistant stipends, health and wellness support, fitness facilities access, childcare reimbursements, and a $1,500 relocation stipend. For more information and to apply, visit the website. Deadline for applications is February 18.
Brainard Carey is an author, artist and educator. He is the director of Praxis Center for Aesthetics and is currently faculty at the School of Visual Arts in NYC. He has written six books for artists, most recently Making it in the Art World. He also has a new book coming out in the Spring of 2024, The Problems in the Art World: An Artist’s A-Z Action Guide, which is available for preorder.