Soon after Maria and I met and became friends, we sponsored an art show together, it was called “Art Harvest” and featured four artists – me, Maria, the poet Mary Kellogg and a young designer named Anthony Armstrong. The three of us went on to pursue photographer, fiber arts and poetry, Anthony took a different path. This has always been the great idea between Maria and I, a part of our love and commitment to one another – the encouragement of the creative spark with people who wish for it to emerge into the light.
In our subsequent open houses at the first Bedlam farm and this one, we have pursued this idea, but truthfully, it got a bit lost in the past year because we were simply so distracted with other things. We moved and have spent the past year adjusting to our new home and our new community, among too many other things to list. But the spirit of the Bedlam Farm Open Houses – places for creative people to find encouragement for their work – is being reborn again, and by a number of things.
One is Simon, our beloved donkey, the subject of my next book, “Saving Simon: How A Rescue Donkey Taught Me The Meaning Of Compassion,” coming out on October 7, the week before the next Open House. Simon and I will be signing books here at the Open House and at Battenkill Books in Cambridge. (You can pre-order this book from Battenkill, they will ship anywhere in the world and I will sign and personalize it for you.) Simon and compassion are a symbol of this Open House, to be held Columbus Day weekend.
Secondly, there is my open heart surgery, which occurred on July 1. I am lucky to be alive, healing and feeling reborn to life. The Open House has great meaning for me.
But it may be that the most fitting symbol of the Open House is our good friend and neighbor Kim Macmillan. She and Maria began working together several years ago, Kim helps Maria put together some of her potholders and scarves, she also designs some of her own creations, and in the past few weeks has begun making felted purses, already selling rapidly and in demand through Maria’s bog and Facebook. Maria and I have seen few things that seem to have caught on as quickly or enthusiastically as Kim’s work. Kim will soon be setting up her own blog to sell her work and is going to sell her felt creations at the Open House in October.
She and Maria have a lot of plans for working together.
Kim is a loving and brave woman. She is also very talented. She has been working hard her entire life, and is devoted to her family. Her husband Jack has been a great friend to Maria, to me, and to the farm, I’m not sure we would have survived the past year without him. He will also be here at the Open House, helping to keep order. The creative spirit is strong within Kim, and is coming out. Like so many of us, she has always been reluctant to show her work. The wonderful response to her purses has shaken her up a bit. Maria has been encouraging her for some time, they have a beautiful friendship, they support one another.
Kim is startled by the strong response to her work, but she will get used to it. We are very excited to have her and her new work with us at the Open House, she will be helping Maria in the Studio, as usual, and also showing and selling her purses, a wonderful thing. It is really in some ways the point of us, the idea behind Bedlam Farm, the thing Maria and I most share.
Kim is such a gifted artist, we are both so happy for her to be sharing her great coming out with us. You can see her work on Maria’s website and also at the Open House, and soon enough on her blog. Maria will be posting updates about her work. This year, another special gift, the coming together of creative friends from all over the country from the Creative Group At Bedlam Farm, a wonderful community of creative people sharing their work with one another and encouraging one another in creativity and life: the digital village that has always been the promise of the Internet, but only rarely realized. Many are coming to the Open House.
She is the poster child for the October Open House, I think, along with Maria and her beautiful art, and two asses: a sweet donkey and a writer with a pre-owned heart. Details on Maria’s website, on her events page. We have a lot to celebrate at this Open House, a lot to feel good and be excited about, I think we have regained the original purpose and spirit, the Open House is reborn, and that is a beautiful thing for us. It is helping Maria and I renew our commitment to the very dream that helped bring us together, of living together in a creative community that helped people find their passion, purpose and bliss. Thanks, Kim.
