You Are an Artist of Your Own Life

I have a vision of a creative altar for our city that everyone takes turn tending. One at a time, or many at a time, we add our gifts, our creativity, our spark to that altar. This altar represents the heart and spirit of the city. It reminds the city of its highest vision.

I voiced this idea at a meeting of artists, performers, and musicians in Asheville, North Carolina last night. The next thing I knew, we were saying Yes to our first taste of this vision today.

I showed up for my time of tending to Asheville’s heART today with a poem that emerged from last night’s discussion. I walked around the fountain in the center of our city speaking this poem to Asheville.

I began to see everyone who passed by as an Artist of their own life. I saw each person artfully expressing themselves–whether that looked like smoking a cigarette, searching through the garbage, eating lunch, talking to a friend, jogging through the park.

I had several sweet interactions with others who wanted to read or hear or be curious about my poem. I felt very interconnected with our sweet town.

For the first time I felt a deeper sense of my role in Asheville. I am here to tend to Asheville’s heart, help it see itself through the artful expressions I and others offer, encourage it to remember its essence and let its light shine, for us, from us, with us, together.

If you care to hear this poem, you can watch the video of me tending Asheville's heART here.