Words spilling out...

Although I have been a part of Poets & Painters for over a year, it has only been recently that poems have begun to spill out of me. This, combined with facilitating my second course of The Artist Way, where risk-taking is encouraged, culminated in me declaring that I wanted to stand up and read my poetry in public. Well, last night at Rabbitfoot Records it happened. It was exhilarating and exciting and it all started with this poem...

All That You Need

by Shari Sherman

The day breaks
I barely have my eyes open before
I am chasing Time by the tail
What does the list say?

I have to be There
But, oh please, please just let me be here
With my cup of coffee, hot against my lips,
I notice it's sweet bitter darkness

I grab for things before they
slip from my mind
Do I have everything I need?
I can't go back.

I am listening, but not to myself

Wrapping the words around me
I notice You are strikingly open
a tiny fracture, enough for a tear to trickle out
if you swallow your breath, it won't get any bigger

Shedding niceties
Extracting embedded habits, identities, and expectations
I notice the beauty in tender, raw moments
beauty, beauty, Beauty!

You are listening, but not to yourself.

Something outside of you is trying to communicate with you
You are strikingly Open
just a tiny fracture
and that is all that you need.

Here's to risk taking, being supported by others on the path, and especially letting your creativity flow freely. 

A Primal Exclamation Point!

This is a Primal Exclamation Point!

You've heard of a primal scream, right? Carol Burnett had a rather stellar one in the movie The Four Seasons - I can still hear that high pitched squeeeeeeal from behind the bathroom door. Over the course of putting together Beyond Words, our group of four artists has shared a primal scream, a primal guffaw, a primal sigh, and as evidenced in the photo, a primal exclamation point. On the morning after our closing ceremony, we met together and enjoyed a primal whoop! Several, in fact. 

The show has closed and has been dismantled. Yes, the party is over, but by the magic of the Muse,  there are several creative ripples spreading out in our community and we are encouraged to know that our end harkens a new beginning. More on that later. For now, we are basking in the glow of a project well received and a vision made tangible. 

- MK Shaw

Honorary Poets & Painters

This past Monday we finished up our project with the PACE Center for Girls.  This is a project that we undertook as part of our Beyond Words show where we wanted to engage in some type of community outreach with the emphasis on girls and creativity. We will have one final field trip day with the girls next week where they will come to visit the show at the Casselberry Art House and hang their own words on Myrtle, our PoeTree. This experience with the girls has been amazing! In the beginning, we didn't know what to expect. I mean we are OLDER, and these are teenage girls after all. At the first visit, we could feel the tentative curiosity. We shared a little about ourselves and the importance of art and writing. The second visit, we were greeted with girls who were happy to see us back!  We worked on our journals using collage on the covers to create a special place for their expressions and to gather words and images. By the third visit, we saw these beautiful souls open up. We discussed and worked on "I Am" poems. Positive descriptive words were flying around the room!  Sassy, creative, observant, funny, daredevil, confident, strong, patient, and gentle. And I believe I can say that the Poets & Painters were collectively BLOWN AWAY by their words...by their bravery. 

We all were ignited and inspired and lifted. 

By the end of this third visit, they let us know that we will be missed.

I hope they take a little bit of this experience with them as they continue to grow. 

I know each of us will. 

WE DID IT

And it was a success

Thank you to all who helped us celebrate

and those who helped make it such a fun event

The show is open until May 30th when we have a closing ceremony.

If you have missed the opening, please join us for the goodbyes.

Elle, MK, Shari, Anne-Marie

Finishing touch on the Poet Tree

Our tree is taking shape.

Our poet in residence is adding her magic 

You're Invited

Beyond Words

Please join the artists of Poets & Painters at the opening reception of Beyond Words, an interactive show of poetry and visual arts. 

Saturday, May 9 from 7 to 9pm at Casselberry Art House

 127 Quail Pond Circle, Casselberry, Florida

There will be poetry! There will be paintings! There will be a six foot PoeTree! There will be an abundance of creative energy...and we invite you to be a part of it. Visitors can add their own words and reflections to the PoeTree. 

We have chosen four poems to inspire our artwork for this debut show. In a variety of media, each artist has created a tangible visual expression of the written word. Also on display will be an I Am poem from each artist and a doll that represents them. 

Hope to see our friends, family, and art tribe at the show! Casselberry Art House is open Monday through Friday from 10am to 5pm. Free admission. 

Hard at Play

What are these crazy artists doing?

Our tree is taking shape. The hole is done. Next step the branches.

Getting closer.

Check with us next week.