I pulled into the drive for Everwood Farmstead on a warm afternoon, feeling the luxury of time at the start of a week-long artist’s retreat and the self-imposed pressure of wanting to use it well. In my backpack was a partially finished manuscript. The first two hundred pages were pretty well crafted, the last hundred trailed off into notes and incomplete thoughts. The bones of … Continue reading Everwood
In the midst of life’s storms, what brings you comfort? In the noise of daily life, what delivers calm? When you are feeling uncertain, what returns you to the values that you know are at the core of who you are? For many of us, the past 16 months or so have been unsettling. Uncertain. As we are pushed and pulled by the news of … Continue reading What centers you?
Chuck Richter is a lobsterman from Orr’s Island, Maine. He says life on the water is hard, unpredictable, dangerous, and tiring, but there is nothing he would rather do. He appreciates living in a small community where “everybody’s got your back,” and speaks of the challenges when outsiders come in and try to change things they don’t understand. “I’ve learned through counseling that if something upsets … Continue reading Chuck Richter
Erika Nelson is an artist who lives in Lucas, Kansas, a rural plains community of 400 that has embraced its tradition as a hotbed for grassroots arts. After selling all of her possessions, Erika lived and traveled across the country in her vehicle, visiting small arts communities. Her imagination was peaked when she saw a house in Lucas sell at auction for $1,000. What at … Continue reading Erika Nelson
