Fireside Chat Artist Statement


In a TED talk by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, she talks about the importance of stories. She is a writer from Nigeria that tells about things that are significant to her. She encourages others to share their stories too, adding to the understanding of diverse experiences. In another TED presentation, Brené Brown tells several stories about human connectedness and vulnerability. Learning of the experiences of others helps foster empathy. She says that in order for connection to really happen, we need to be vulnerable, we have to really let ourselves be seen. Sharing our stories allows for this. 
The telling of stories has been around since the civilization of man. “Story has always been the way we explain our relationships and who we are,” (Forbes 2). For me, I find great importance in sharing my experiences, and the experiences of those close to me. Life is full of inspiration and information to be used and shared. I try to let life inform my creative processes and works. It is for this reason I wanted to share a story of great personal importance. As Peter Forbes said in his essay, The Power of Story in an Age of Consequence, it is through story that we can learn more about ourselves, and about others. Since I was little, I grew up hearing stories about my Mor (great-grandmother). Her story was one of huge inspiration. Many times, throughout my life I have thought of her and felt encouraged to live as she did. “We can find and share the stories that we need right now to guide us. We need these stories to help us rethink what it means to be human today,” (Forbes 3). In my great-grandmother’s story I see a woman who was faced with trial and hardship from a young age but handled it with grace and optimism. To all those who knew her she was tremendously kind and positive. I am proud to be a part of her legacy.
The creative choices of my presentation were informed by my experiences growing up of often sitting together and telling stories. Many times, the best stories were told around an evening campfire in the mountains. I painted the starry forest to accompany the sounds of a fire crackling and crickets chirping. I wanted to simulate a similar experience to the ones I was so fond of. 

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