How’s your sparkle doing? I went looking for mine when I was laid off during the pandemic. I started by repairing my favorite slippers with thick goofy stitches and blue satin toes, and when they were complete, they felt as precious as Cinderella’s glass slippers. I suddenly remembered that I loved to create, that I was playful and joyful. I bought watercolors next, and acrylic paint when we lugged home a treasure trove plastic “TAKE ALL” bin of scrap wood from the side of the road.

Painting in the sunshine became my happy place, and before I knew it, canvases were stacked up on my shelves. Sunny days and moonlit nights and wishful thinkings lined up, their dripped edges the knowing winks of old friends.

The more I created, the more I wanted to keep going. When my Aunt Joan passed away, we nieces gathered in her home and sorted through her whimsical jewelry collection while reminiscing on her beautiful strangeness. Funky yet flawed, larger than life and merely human.

At first, it felt like the death of my own strangeness. Then, I became desperate to keep it alive, and broke apart one of her necklaces to string into new pieces for my family. I had access to a craft store and my partner’s jewelry repair kit, so there was really no stopping me as I dove headfirst into another layer of creation.

As I’ve wandered down the path of my sparkle, art supplies and new skills have stuck like brambles to a hermit’s cloak. I may very well have forever been a hermit in a cabin full of hidden sparkle if not for the most important thing an artist can have: community.

One day, I was on a walk, and recklessly introduced myself to a neighbor as an artist. I felt so foolish, and incorrect, but it was out there, hanging on the warm spring breeze between us. It’s authentic conversations like those that have led me to finding my community, and to Local Good! Let’s build our sparkle together.

You’ll find paintings, multimedia art, jewelry, and more in my shop. The “more” gets even bigger at vendor shows, so find me at @gwenstrangeart on Instagram to get the scoop on where I’ll be next!

One more thing… If you haven’t flung paint at a wooden plank in your yard on a warm sunny day yet, would you try it for me?