I set a goal to apply for the fellowship. That required me to finish five paintings before January 8th, and I met that goal, and I applied and did not get selected. But this is a good reminder that I do not “need” the fellowship to continue to make art, and that I do not “need” the fellowship to know that my art has value. I hope those who are selected for the fellowship are people who do need the space and time to create the best art they can. I’ll keep on doing what I am working on here, and plan to submit a couple things for “Around the Bend 2024”.

One of my main goals this year in addition to looking for additional commissions is to build a stronger local community of artists, and that means I have to do things locally that help me to further that goal.

So I’ve got till March 1st to decide what I’ll submit to that, and then in March I have the South Bend Local Author Fair at the downtown library to get ready for as well. I’ll keep looking for more opportunities and contests that align with the work I am already doing.

I hope that the way I go about accepting this news and the way I use it to fuel my work going forward is a good example for my daughters. I got a lot of paint for Christmas. It’s time to slap it on some canvases.