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everybody IS a story.. (2020)

mixed media on canvas (acrylic, paper, charcoal, felt, soft pastels)

Artist Statement

When teaching my students how to synthesize texts, it dawned on me that it’s a perfect way to read people as well. We are all ‘books’ (I’ve dated a few paragraphs and newspaper articles, but that’s neither here nor there)… anyway, we are all stories to be read.

To help my students understand what we read, so that we are reading more deeply and closely and not judging ‘books’ by their covers, we follow a simple 3-step format…

1.) At first I was thinking…

2.) Now I’m thinking…

3.) After reading, I’m thinking…

Unfortunately, when dealing with people, some of us never get to the last stage, or even the second for that matter… our thinking may not evolve as we learn new information or we may never dig deeper… for various reasons…

Stories come in different genres, different complexities… from picture books to technical books… from romance to graphic novels… from poetry anthologies to magazine articles… and a whole lot in between… sometimes we skim… other times we sit a narrative aside because we’re not ready for it yet or ever… still other times, we dive in so deeply and get so hooked that we can’t let go until every word has been read and every page changes the fabric of our beings…

And while every ‘book’ may not be your preference or may not be on your level, our lives are still enriched through the power of story.

You are a story. Your life, full of its climaxes and resolutions… its beginnings, middles, and endings… it’s antagonists and shifting characters… your story.

And although every chapter of your story deserves to be read, the truth is, you’re not for everyone… and while you may have the desire to read all the ‘books’, the truth is, everyone of them is not for you.

Nevertheless, I’ve found that when I take the time to pick up a ‘book’ and actually open its cover (especially my autobiography), whether I decide to finish it or not, I am forever changed. Changed because, if only for a moment, I’ve stepped into another dimension… peeked into a new world…gained a new respect for another way of being… and ultimately, gained a new perspective and respect for myself…

 

Narratives shape us, mold us, makes us…

 

This mini-series- the colors used, and every letter, word, and texture combined- seeks to remind us of the power of His-story, Her-story, and that We are all stories.

 

So… Who are you truly reading? And who’s reading you?

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