2021 | Year in Review
Every New Year’s Eve, I do a little recap of the past year.
This year, I considered letting this tradition go by the wayside. After two years of pandemic, I feared that celebrating the milestones of 2021 might come across as arrogant or energetically incongruous to the realities of our collective grief. It’s difficult to read the room at times like these, especially in cyberspace.
The thing is, the accomplishments and wins from this past year do not belong to me alone. The only reason any of my mission-driven work is possible is because I am a community supported artist. This year has been a vibrant community effort and I’m excited to share my gratitude for all that we have created together.
So as this strange and extraordinary year comes to a close, I’d like to take this opportunity to thank you all, especially those of you who support me through Patreon, for your incredible support. Your open hearts, your belief in my work as an independent artist, and your commitment to the creative soul of our community is so life affirming. I literally could not to this work without you. You have my deepest gratitude.
Here are just some of the ways in which your support has buoyed my work in the world and created ripples of impact:
This year saw the creation and premier of the Startling Truth art series at Royal Artisan Gallery in Baker City, OR and Cavu Cellars Gallery in Walla Walla, WA.
Thanks to the amazing support of my Patreon community, we were able to publicly launch the Collaborative Alchemy Podcast. There are currently eleven episodes available and more on the way!
I delivered 12 months of The Creative Alchemy Cycle to an incredible community of seekers, creatives, and thought leaders!
I took the majority of the year to write a book manuscript of The Creative Alchemy Cycle and this fall, I hired an editor to help me self-publish. October 2022 is the tentative date for publication!
I am the lead playwright and project manager for The Urban Rural Theatre Project and this year, our creative team conducted 33 interviews. This is a verbatim theatre piece which explores the question of the urban / rural divide in the state of Oregon, which will be produced in the spring of 2023.
I loved attending the 2021 Allied Media Conference this year and it was a thrill to attend a panel discussion with two of my heroes, adrienne maree brown and Ross Gay.
Your support helped me to re-roofed my art studio to protect against ice dams! Thank you for this all-important update to my workspace. Here is a studio tour I produced and shared in February.
This year, I was able to perform four free public music concerts in Eastern Oregon. Thanks to Curt Terrall (guitar), Jack Greenman (drums and vocals), and Greg Plano (guitar and bass) for making music alongside me!
I launched my own YouTube channel, thanks to the encouragement of a few patrons who really wanted to see my work on that platform. Its exciting to take cues from my community when developing programming!
This summer, I began working with Myriam Loeschen as a co-facilitator with her business, Joy Facilitation. More about this exciting new work forthcoming!
I was thrilled to be featured on the Beautiful & True Podcast hosted by Jenn Cox.
Becoming a 2021/22 fellow with the American Leadership Forum was definitely a highlight of the year.
There are so many ways this community has collectively delivered delight, support, and nourishment in 2021. Here are some of the ways in which our mutual care efforts have manifested this year:
We provided five full-coverage equity sponsorships for an entire year of the Creative Alchemy Cycle.
We offered reduced equity pricing for e-courses, retreats, and oracle readings to 22 people.
We shipped nine complimentary care packages, delivered with LOVE, to BIPOC women artists.
We made twelve months of recurring donations to Nimiipuu Protecting the Environment (org)
We made twelve months of recurring donations to Nez Perce Wallowa Homeland (org)
We made twelve months of recurring Patreon pledges to eleven independent BIPOC & LBGTQ artists. You can read more about these mission-driven donations HERE.
This year I was able to host seven free open studio events.
I hosted a free Creative Alchemy Cycle Workshop in August, which has been viewed by over 100 people.
You also helped me to endure and triumph through some serious hardships this year:
Remember when a 90-foot Ponderosa tree fell on my house?
We also had some overwhelming weeks with our son, Charlie this spring. You were all an incredible source of strength and support as we navigated his medical challenges.
Thank you, dear readers, for making this unbearable pandemic year so beautiful and meaningful in the face of challenge and strife. Tonight as the clock strikes midnight and we click over into a new year, I am holding you all close to my heart. Grateful doesn’t even begin to describe it.