Support and love for Marissa's ongoing creative practice!
Being creative is hard...when it's not easy.
Living vulnerably is scary...when it's not freeing.
Navigating these polarizations are part of what makes being an artist necessary to my daily life. The artist lens gives me enough distance to understand perspective and have a sense of patience with myself. When the world and my mind seem to be swallowing me whole, turning to a creative outlet is what sets me free!
It is my hope that sharing what comes out of my creative process might help someone else. That it might help you! We are all navigating the same waters of what it means to be human, and that is what makes a sense of community and support vital. We can be mirrors for each other. We can hold space for each other. We can let each other know that we are not alone! We all want someone to bear witness to who we truly are, and for me, my exploration of craft and artistic channel cannot be complete without an audience. I took a moment to look up the origin of the word, and it comes from the Latin audire which means 'hear.’ So, I am looking for those who are wanting to hear me and my work.
For most of my life the majority of my artist mind and process has been explored alone, or seemingly alone, which is why I have started sharing more of my process online. Sharing online thus far has felt like shooting intimate pieces of myself into a void with no sense of landing. With no sense of who might hear what I say. But I am recognizing that I need to know who I am speaking to - I want to know who you are. My greatest wish is for us to exchange with each other knowingly. I want to hear from you in return!
If you are reading this, chances are you are someone who is kindred in spirit. Someone who believes in the power of art as something that heals. Someone who has been hurt, and bruised, and battered, and yet knows that the fire inside that has kept them alive never truly dies. Someone who believes in the power of fanning that fire to ignite something inside themselves that feels grande and expansive and important for the sake of humanity...even if it is only a quiet moment held within. This is for you!
There are so many things that I want to do and doing those things is going to take the support of so many people more than myself! So if you have a word of encouragement, a $1 to donate, or a piece of your own process/practice to share - please, I want you to know truly how much I hope to receive from you. [email protected]
Asking is hard, receiving is harder - but both of these things are uncomfortable in a way that feels necessary and important. For this, I am grateful.