Taproot Arts and Insight: Val Gilman Coaching for Artists- Life, Business and Creativity
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Creative collaboration in the time of Covid

8/30/2020

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Ok- I'm going to be honest- when I was driving home after that gallery meeting on July 8 I was kicking myself for stumbling into more than I had time for again. What had I gotten myself into!

I had suggested, as we were all trying to figure out how to make our gallery function during lockdown, that we could think about using more of the space instead of less, that we could experiment with site specific temporary installation, seen only from the front and not entered.

​I was thinking about the vertical space. I was thinking about space instead of just walls. And I was thinking we needed to shake it up.

I was not thinking of doing it the next month. 

It was insane. I had just gotten chicks for the first time ever and they were growing fast in our living room and I was on a frantic mission to build a chicken coop. I was (and am) still working full time as a coach and small business owner, not to mention being a single mom. I have no time!

And the work that I really wanted to show, had been planning to show for my solo exhibit that had to be cancelled due to the pandemic, was labor intensive ceramic wall fountains. They were no where near done.

The fact is that my creative life had stalled during covid, and I felt like I was shriveling up. My studio was a dumping ground and a chaotic mess of tools used to build the coop. All the art projects that I had been working on, that had end points that made sense, had kind of fallen out. I was starved for something that made sense and in some weird way this did. 



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Today, after removing the front wall, the collaboration blossomed into something really beautiful. It was like the gallery took a huge breath of air and sunlight and opened its heart to us. ​

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Where did the creative work go?

2/23/2017

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It is shockingly hard to keep that creative work alive in the world of job-house-kid-car. Life is full and busy, and there are a million excuses for not taking the time for art. And there is definitely something essential that is missing without it- something feels kind of flat. There is a hole where the art used to be.

In our culture the arts have been de-emphasized and it is taking the humanness out of us. It is in the schools and it is our adult daily lives. There is a pervasive assumption that the arts are fluff- only decorative- just for a break from reality- not essential. The truth is that the arts are essential- they are where we touch our humanness- they are where the juice comes from- they restore our sense of self and they allow us to grapple with the really challenging questions. It is creative play that allows for kids to express and learn from their strong emotions- to grow to be well rounded compassionate adults and it is creative play that keeps adults tapped in to our ongoing growth. And living in a beautiful space, surrounded by one's own art- or art that reflects our own inner truth, is nourishing to the soul.

It is time to crawl out of the all or nothing fallacy. You can have both the rich exploration of color and form, melody and rhythm, metaphor and alliteration, sensory creation of all sorts and all the unknown places it can take you, and also be an adult with responsibilities in this world. Not only that but it is a really good idea to get that creative juice flowing again. You need it. We all need it.

My passion is helping people find or re-energize their own voice and direction, set their own goals and move past any hurdles that get in the way. ​

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Three reasons your creative project is stalled and how to get it moving!

7/21/2015

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You dream up a creative project that feels right on, and gives you a lot of joy to imagine it, but it never really gets off the ground. In fact after dreaming of it for so long, not only does it lose its joy, but it can actually begin to be a drain on your confidence!

I have so been there, and it is painful!

The thing is that you are an adult and you have a ton on your plate. 
It is really hard to prioritize a creative project when you need to pay the bills, tend to the kids, get the car fixed, buy groceries, and have some sort of a social life.

Not being able to get past that first hurdle of getting the project firmly in the line-up of priorities can be what keeps a person from doing their creative work for years and years, and this is a travesty.

The world needs your creative work!
If you have a creative itch it is because it needs to be expressed and if you need to express it there are others out there who need to be able to connect with it! It is part of the collaborative project of our human culture- we are all in it together and we need each other’s wisdom, questions and creativity. 

I believe firmly that each of us has something very particular to offer the world and it is our job to do it. And it is not always easy to know what that thing is and to find the energy to make it happen.



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  • Home
  • About Val
    • Val Gilman
    • Val's art >
      • Portrait Sculpture by Val Gilman
      • Val's Art Website
      • Studio Visit
  • Coaching
    • Coaching for Artists
    • How does coaching for artists work
    • Will Art coaching help you? a quiz
    • Free initial consultation
    • interview/coaching exchange
  • Offerings
    • Spring Workshops 2025
    • Taproot Artist Circle
    • Pottery Classes
    • Weight health with love
    • Taproot Virtual Co-Working
  • Free things
    • Youtube channel
    • Blog
  • Contact
    • Contact
    • Scheduling
  • FAQ