A Thankful Heart

Despite the coming of cold weather, I really like the month of November.  I like that people verbalize their gratitude more than usual.  It’s a habit that should be developed throughout the year but it’s cool that people share it more during the month of November.  I like to get on Facebook and read each day the posting of what people appreciate.  I wanted to do the same sort of thing here in this blog.  I feel like my life is very blessed.  Even exceptionally so.  I’ve always tried to pay attention to the good things in my life and honestly it’s pretty easy to do.  When your life is brimming over with blessings it’s easy to recognize the good that surrounds you so closely.  I’d like to post a several things every few days.  Things, people or ideas that God has so graciously placed in my life and my heart.

1.       I’m blessed with an independent spirit that grants me the desire to do what I can for myself, have ambition to go after the things I want, and live an active life.

2.       I’m thankful for modern medicine and medical technology that allows me to live and be healthy.  My wheelchair that takes me everywhere I need to go and conserves my energy.  My ventilator that keeps my respiratory system functioning.  Antibiotics help my body fight infections that frequently find me.  Had I been born even 50 years ago I would not have lived to the age I am and I would certainly not live with the ease and comfort I am able to enjoy.

3.       I’m thankful for my apartment and the ability I have to live on my own and care for myself.

4.       I’m grateful for the power of FAITH and its trusty companion HOPE. These two bring peace to my heart and light to what would otherwise be a scary and uncertain life.

5.       I’m thankful for my nieces and nephews.  Each one of them brings delight and entertainment to my life.  They are magic and I so enjoy watching them become people and feel the influence of their beautiful spirits.

Utility Box Art Project

Last week was amazing.  In my previous post I talked about the art utility box project that I was invited to be part of.  Week before last one of my paintings was scanned and printed then installed on two utility boxes that stand side by side located on 3300 South and 300 West in South Salt Lake.

Last Thursday there was a media event held on the location of the boxes where several news channels where there to interview the Mayor of South Salt Lake City, Cherie Wood and the project director, Glenn Smith and to also feature me as an artist.  What an opportunity for me!!  I get nervous seeing and hearing myself on camera but this was an opportunity I could not pass up. 

Soon after I returned to work that day another news channel called asking if they could interview me in their studio that afternoon.  A quick outfit change and back to the city I go.  I was pretty nervous after I arrived at the studio.  I’d never been on the live news before and I wasn’t certain what questions they would ask me. 

See the news clip here:

http://www.cw30.com/content/news/state/story/Utah-artist-s-mission-is-to-beautify-South-Salt/q9HJz-rjLkKSWMmbt2y_jg.cspx

I’ll never be comfortable seeing and hearing myself on camera but I feel like Channel 4 did a good job and made a nice story of the project. 

The Deseret News also sent a reporter who talked to me and the story ran in Sunday’s paper.  It was a very nice article and I am delighted that they wanted to write about me and my art.  I was not totally thrilled with the headline which reads “Disabled woman takes leap of courage and gets her art on display”.  It was such a nice article but I don’t love the term Disabled Woman and prefer woman with a disability.  I know my art and disability walk close together.  I realize that the disability side might lead me to opportunities that might not otherwise come but my hope is that people see my art more then they see the disability.

Deseret News article:

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865589199/Disabled-woman-takes-leap-of-courage-sees-her-artwork-on-display-in-South-Salt-Lake.html

From that story my information was given to a talk radio host who set up an over the phone interview which took place yesterday.  I was interviewed by Abby Bonell, a radio host with a fantastic British accent! The interview will play on the radio Sunday morning at 7:15 on My 99.5, 97.1 ZHT, Rock 106.6, Oldies KODJ and again Sunday night at 7:15 105.7 Talk Radio.

It’s been so exciting for me to have these opportunities.  It makes me feel happy that other people are connecting and responding to my artwork in positive ways.  I’m so luck and incredibly blessed to do something I love and have others appreciate it.  It’s an honor for me to have my art on display in a public place where people thousands of people will see it every day.  I hope that if people look at it, it will bring happiness to their heart, if even for just a brief moment.