in the space between

On Friday I hosted a reading with some friends at a local cafe with the theme “in the space between.” I’d never done anything like this before, so it was a great learning experience for me and delightful to come together with friends and support each other’s creative practice! Six of us shared things we had written–a mixture of poetry, collaborative zines, short stories, and even a song. I made a zine and read a poem.

The theme “in the space between” came from an essay I’d written, and when I looked at things I’d been drawing/writing, it seemed like the perfect topic to continue to explore. As a teaching assistant, this time in Austria / Europe feels inherently “in between” — neither here nor there. Especially knowing that the position is limited to two years, there is the sense that this time here isn’t permanent–simply a stopping point to whatever comes next and not a full chapter (though it is a full chapter). At the same time, I can’t help but think of the physical location and placement of living between mountains and the space they seem to hold, framing the valleys. And there is the question of nuance and finding and expanding space in ideas and thinking, and of course, my continued exploration of being in my body, movement, and finding space to breathe. The theme triggered a lot of ideas for me and seemed to resonate with others as well!

Over the past year and a half, I’ve been returning to a creative practice that I somewhat abandoned/never had after switching majors in college. I’ve been missing the art community I was around in Indianapolis–the informality and ability for emerging artists to participate in the art scene. Inspired by Beth Pickens, The Artist’s Way, and the support of my Creative Circle, I decided to plan this evening in the hopes that it would give others the chance to share informally and in a supportive environment. As scary as it was to take my own art practice out into public, I think creativity is meant to be shared, and I am so thankful to the support of my friends and their willingness to share–without them, the event wouldn’t have come together and been such a success!