The Foundation House residency was a truly special experience and fulfilled all of my dreams for what an artist residency could look like. During my time I was able to take in and be inspired by the beautiful nature throughout the expansive property, was able to produce extensively in a studio with great natural light and room for all my projects, was able to nourish my soul with rest and relaxation, and had the greatest privilege of getting to befriend my cohort. As peers we learned so much from each other and communal meal times (with considerately prepared meals) were always a highlight of the day. The residency seems to be beloved by the local community too with a well-attended Open Studio event full of art-loving supporters.
I LOVED my residency time. It was a space for me to just focus on my art, and truly let myself BE an artist. The art just poured out of me when I gave it the space and time. For a long time I had considered myself a teacher/trainer/facilitator/coach first and artist second, but my time at Foundation House helped me see that I am an artist first, and everything else flows from there. Since then I have been introducing myself as an artist and facilitator, in that order. My residency was also a pivotal moment in seeing all my work as a whole, even in all its disparate parts. Actually it was something Mimi said about my braiding that helped me see this - she said 'oh yes it makes sense that you do braids because it's all part of your swirling, intricate designs, connecting together ethos' or something like that. I now see both my art and my facilitation as part of a whole essence of helping people weave together parts of themselves, swirl through the mess, connect more deeply through sharing truths, and express hard things through art and story. I had not seen that before the residency. You all seeing me as an artist helped me take myself seriously in a way I'd always wanted to. It was truly life-changing and has set me on a path I barely dared to dream of before.
The word that comes to mind when I think back on my ten days at Foundation House is nourishment: nourishment of the soul, the mind, the body. Between the michelin-quality food that Christina masterfully whipped up each day, to the enriching conversations I had with my cohorts, to the time and energy I was able to dedicate to my craft, I felt nourished. Us seven artists under one enormous tudor roof came from different walks of life, yet we meshed perfectly, learning from each other while offering support and encouragement. We even called ourselves, The Artists, a crew of superheroes, each with special powers like writing anything into existence or "MacGyvering" any material that might be laying around. Still, many weeks after the residency, the wall by my desk is adorned with quotes and poems by fellow residents. I'll smile to myself when I think about a joke someone told at dinner or dancing up a storm our last night together. I left feeling like I could finally call myself an artist.
