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June 7, 2006
| Now that I am through the Commotion
of my art exhibit, it’s been
on my heart to say something more
about the intuitive and creative
process of making art…
When I was
7 until I was 17, I took private
group art lessons with an accomplished
artist in my town. There I learned
printmaking, collage, painting,
drawing, sculpture, you name it.
For three hours every Friday afternoon,
in an atmosphere of classical music
and all the tea and cookies in the
world (it seemed), my fellow students
and I worked alongside each other,
each of us in our worlds. That’s
where I discovered that artmaking
nurtures a deep, interior space
inside of me. Let’s call it
a virgin forest. A safe haven from
all other commotion. This was and
is my modesty zone.
A virgin forest
is wild, untouched, unexploited.
It’s full of growth, overrun
with life and a sense of mystery.
Kind of like what has become of
my room at my mother’s hands
since I moved out three years ago.
The often quiet, meditative, passionate
place of making art gave me room
to express and probe my fantasies
and fears during my teenage years.
Toward the end of college, it opened
up a refuge for me when my mother
was diagnosed with cancer –
a private place to battle and heal.
More recently, bringing my art into
the art world, bringing that inner
sanctum into the spotlight has been
its own rough journey to remain
true to the voice God has given
me.
What experience
do you have of your own “virgin
forest”? Do you think young
girls and women (and also young
men) can better preserve their dignity
and modesty when they tap into art
or another reflective space?
Read
the discussion on the blog
Erin Palazzolo,
26, is a Phi Beta Kappa, magna cum
laude graduate of Williams College.
She is also an exhibiting artist
and holds her Master's degree in
Art Therapy from The College
of New Rochelle, NY.
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