Well, it’s been an entire year since my brain tried to kill me and I missed Orlando Fringe. Let’s try this again, shall we?
A year ago, I was in the hospital after having two cerebellar strokes. I luckily submitted 3 micrography Shakespeare pieces before my brain tried to kill me. I was heart broken before I realized how broken my brain was. Heart broken not just to be in hospital, but to be missing the year’s best CFL cultural event. I was absolutely in denial about the physical and mental adventure I was thrust into, and I had my husband type an email I dictated, explaining my absence and offering my market spot to another artist. As for the pieces I exhibited, the originals sold, so I didn’t have to go pick them up after the exhibit. A very convenient thing considering I wasn’t exactly running errands at that point…
But, I’m back and better than ever. Ok, definitely not true, but I’m happier than ever to be alive and making art! Last year, in some kind of major stroke induced epiphany, I knew that I needed to share my experience and insights through not just art, but education and advocacy. I had always had a love for nature, but this was a blast of light, get on it ASAP kind of calling.This beautiful epiphany involved a recognition of the complex and inextricable balance we hold with ourselves and our natural environment.
A system we evolved within and cannot function without, the natural world offers us physical and spiritual healing. Yet we teeter on the edge of destruction as balance and interdependence fade in a landscape of growing consumption. Just like my insulted cerebellum, we can try to fix the damage that’s been done and work very hard to restore balance. (All my neuro nerds will get that.) But in regards to resource and land development, the damage is sometimes irreversible.
Like my lasting stroke deficits, it takes true acceptance of the extent of the permanent damage around us to alter our behavior and actions in a meaningful way before we can implement the extra accommodations necessary for even partial restoration. Things are not the same as they were, and we have to work that much harder to keep decline at bay.
For my first strokeaversary, before my summer of do less be more (more on that to come), I’m celebrating by exhibiting 3 pieces in the Visual Fringe Gallery and participating in the Art Market. ( May 21, 1:30-5:30, and 28th 11:30-3:30.)
All three pieces feature local Central Florida fauna. (And all of these live around my Volusia county home!) The Manatee, the Florida Black Bear, and the Gopher Tortoise.
To better see the poems/words in the micrography compositions, visit in person!
(hint- Frost and Lawrence are the poets)
The Visual Fringe is happening through May 29th! Come out to see art that pushes boundaries on the artists’ typical bodies of work, attend workshops and artist talks, buy art, talk art, and enjoy some shows while you’re there.
