She is an Artist • by Mindy Carpenter

Art Saves in every way imaginable. It is the vase of ballet slipper pink peonies on my coffee table in February when everything is dark and rainy outside. It is the stunning oil painting on my wall by old friend Kazaan Vivieros that greets me in every living room I have ever lived in as an adult. It is the sight of my new Daniel Smith watercolors spread out on the kitchen table ready to plop all over my handmade journal I made on a Sunday afternoon with Papaya founder, Gina Katkin. It is the aqua blue antique and collectible filled office I walk into every day at Papaya!

It is the milk foam heart on my cappuccino, the sprig of rosemary on my potatoes, the perfect handwriting on my nana’s letters. Art Saves when I find just the right card for the right person and send it for no reason. It is when I get a call from Michael and Albert, San Francisco shopkeepers, and they say, another Carpe Diem piece sold! It is when I look in my art studio and, rather than sigh because it is not up and running, I smile because it homes happy things that are all a work in progress. It is when my cat is so adorable that I make her into a Kodak Gallery book. It’s when I discover blurb.com and start my Carpe Diem: A Patchwork Life book.

Art Saves when a new book shows up at my favorite store and sends that creativity rocket through me. It saves when I can spend hours playing with Toy Camera, Polaroid, Hipstamatic, Old Camera, Picture Show ... and more ... on my iPhone. It saves when friends ask to help them decorate, prepare food, plan parties, guest curate, write essays, and contribute to projects, because I am willing and able. Art Saves when pretty pink typewriters on flickr make me happy for no reason at all but carry enough energy home with me to doodle and paste in my journal that evening. It saves when you think you can’t paint but stick with it anyway and discover you have your own style after all. It saves when you are new in town and someone who doesn’t know you very well introduces you and says, “This is Mindy. She is an artist.”

To learn more about Mindy, visit mindycarpenter.blogspot.com.

Comments

[linda]

Beautiful words :)