Heart In Your Hands

Back in the summer I submitted five of my jewelry pieces to the jury of the Kentucky Artisan's Guild for consideration.  I was quite excited at the prospect of being a part of the guild....to be recognized and be in the company of other respected artists of all kinds in our state.  I knew that the jury was tough...they have that reputation, but I felt pretty confident that I could be included.  I waited anxiously for the results to come to me by mail and last week I got my letter.  I laid it on my kitchen island and did every task known to a dutiful housewife to avoid opening it.  I finally thought I was being a bit silly and tore it open.  I found that my pieces had been rejected and that my judge(s) felt the need to be a bit condescending as well.  I told myself I could have one day to be bummed out and disappointed and then it would be time to move on....but it wasn't that simple.  Saturday morning upon waking up, I was still brooding when my phone rang.  It was my mother-in-law,  Alice, whose beautiful work you see above.  She paints the most wonderful botanical and bird prints I've ever laid eyes on and I would DARE the guild to turn HER down!!  I told her of my woes and she reminded me of something I had heard her say before....it just never made much sense to me until I became an artist myself:

                     "When you become an artist, you pour your heart and soul
                        into your work....it becomes a piece of you.  When you 
                        show your work to others, it's like putting your heart in 
                        your hands for them to take and do with it what they please.
                        Some will trample on it and others will take your heart and
                        nurture it.  This is the risk we take as artists...but it's worth it!"


 I realized that she was right....putting our "hearts in our hands" is just part of the deal of being an artist.   Even if others choose to trample it, I'd still rather say that I was willing to hold it out there than to just keep it to myself without giving it a chance to be nurtured.  I was thankful for her reminding me of that!!