What do I want to be known for?

I thought about a lot of things after going to the Jonathan Talbot workshop. During the workshop, he brought up how he would like to be remembered. That got me to thinking about how I would like to be remembered. I had always thought that it would be great if I became a famous artist. Okay, that is nice, but in what context? Would I be famous all over the world or just in the art world that I exist in? It was all so relative. Kind of like how art is relative. Well, I gave it more thought. I think it would be great if I could sell my art as quickly as I could make it. That would not be realistic though. I would love it if people would enjoy my art enough to purchase it.

I would like to be remembered as a teacher who made a difference. I want past students of mine from so many years ago to come back and tell me that being their teacher made a difference in their lives. I want to know what things they learned that helped them to become the person that they were today. I want to be remembered as a good mom. Most of all, I want to be remembered as an artist who shared and tried to help other artists reach their potential. I have gone through many phases with my art. I now feel comfortable enough to sell my pieces and to begin to exhibit them. Even though I have gone on to a different phase in my art self, I keep coming back to the Yahoo groups. I continue to start new groups and cannot completely separate myself from them to concentrate on my art.

Once a group gets going and self-sufficient, I start another Yahoo group. I know that I count on them for friendships with people I have never even met. I know that I look to some of the groups for affirmation and support. I just did not realize until recently that perhaps this is what I was meant to do. Maybe there is a reason why I am so drawn to sharing techniques and teaching in this virtual world. I spend most of my waking hours hours helping my students reach their potential and to discover what their talents are. That is just extended to the Yahoo groups. I depend upon the artists in the groups for support, affirmation, and information. I have an access to a world that would otherwise be unable to me if I did not have a computer. I have only begun to realize how much my art self has grown since I have been doing different things in the groups. I have developed friendships locally that I otherwise might not have, since it was through a Yahoo group that got us meeting together in the first place. I would not have been able to cultivate friends and contacts that I have today. Now, I can turn to them for the support and affirmation that I need.

I wonder how many others are like me who depend on the Yahoo groups for support, affirmation, and information. I know that many artists are quite isolated by location or by circumstances. Some are retired. Some are disabled. Many have multiple chronic illnesses. Some don't have access to local art supplies - not even a Michael's or a Joann's. Does art take away their daily stresses? Does it make them forget about their arthritis or pains for just a little while?

While it would be great to sell my pieces, I want to be remembered as an artist who helped to bring out the potential in other artists.