What I’m for
October 31, 2025
“So build yourself as beautiful as you want your world to be. Wrap yourself in light then give yourself away with your heart, your brush, your march, your art, your poetry, your play. And for every day you paint the war, take a week and paint the beauty, the color, the shape of the landscape you’re marching towards. Everyone knows what you’re against; show them what you’re for.” ~ Andrea Gibson
It occurred to me when I sat down to write this post how abundant and beautiful this past month has been. So abundant, in fact, that this will be a bit longer than usual. I hope you’ll bear with me.
I love that quote above from Andrea Gibson. Their poetry always struck me as being so lovely and so succinct for the concepts they encompassed. That one…the question of “what are you for” made me think. What am I for? What do I support? What is my purpose? What am I creating space for? And are my answers the same for each of those? Sometimes our actions reflect our values perfectly; other times, we find we’re “for” things in theory but pulled in other directions in practice.
I was honored to be asked to participate in the Cultivating Communities Summit put together by The Sowing Room. The two-day event offered presentations, interactive opportunities, and moments of artistic expression around social cohesion, inclusive economies and workforce, equity in education, and environmental justice. I brought my button maker and supplies to make prayer flags on which participants put their hopes and messages for our community. We strung the completed flags up at a park by the Mississippi and let the wind carry those intentions out into the world while kids played, hoop dancers danced, Native artists shared their work, and food trucks hummed. The light, the weather, and the festivities combined in a way that felt like magic.
I was especially impacted by a film we watched called Join or Die. If you get a chance, watch this documentary about how our society is being impacted by the move away from joining clubs. It was really interesting.
The flags will travel with Dawn as she and The Sowing Room continue their work of building inclusive communities. I even had the opportunity to create a tiny remembrance of the occasion with felt for a community quilt project carried out by The Art of the Rural. This too will travel, a small part of something bigger.
Teaching felted sheep at Simply Rustic Floral in Crosslake and ghosts at The Last Turn in Brainerd was so much fun! I love watching how everyone brings their own unique touch to their creations. Each piece is different, and that individuality is truly beautiful.
I have two new workshops coming up - a felted moss piece that will make a lovely decoration for the home, and a felted fairy/angel workshop just in time for the holidays. Fun fact, felted fairies were one of the very first workshops I ever taught. That workshop started a dear friend on her fairy-making journey. Mary’s fairies were the best. (if you know, you know)
This earthy, felted moss workshop will be held Thursday November 13th from 5:30 to 8:00 at The Last Turn in Brainerd. Sign up here.
The felted fairy or angel workshop will also be held at The Last Turn on Thursday December 4th from 5:30 to 7:30. Sign up here.
I had the most amazing experience teaching a collage workshop for students attending the Occupational Skills Program at Central Lakes College as part of the ‘Quiet Voices Seen’ project. As part of a stigma reduction campaign led by Lowell Johnson, people who have a lived experience of mental illness, disability, or are neurodivergent, will participate in workshops featuring different art mediums. At the end of the project, 200 copies of a 40-page chapbook showing the works will be distributed for free within the community.
In my workshop, we talked about how art can be a voice and allow us to express feelings and ideas. We also talked about how art can be perceived differently by others than what we might intend, and how those differences might show up in other ways in our life as well. The conversation was candid, and I was blown away by how perceptive they were, and how willingly they dove into the project. What an absolute joy to be able to spend time with them.
I had the pleasure to make button art with kids (and some grown ups) at Operation Community Connect. This event was in conjunction with the Coats for Kids program put on by our local YMCA. I love any excuse to pull the button maker out, but especially when I get to see little hands proudly holding their artwork.
I can’t wait to see what kids create with the coloring sheets my friends Karissa, Chase, and I made for our favorite local breakfast spot, The Skillet, in Brainerd. The walls there are filled with coloring pages, and we thought it’d be fun to add some designs from local artists. Each of us came up with a design and dropped them off as a surprise. We also included a bit about ourselves on the sheets because we believe it’s important for kids to know there are artists working in their community. After all, you can’t be it if you can't see it.
For my local friends, here’s some encouragement to visit Jackalope Park, another brilliant idea brought to life by my crazily talented friend Biff. He created this park for one reason, to bring joy. And it does. I stopped by to check out Hazel the dinosaur, and to visit the tiny Warren art gallery, and left with a big grin on my face.
In between art, and events, and workshops, and day jobs, and day dreams, and business plans, and kids, and chores, and everything else, there were so many sweet happenings. There were weddings - the stone above was my gift to one special couple, with each stitch representing a wish for a long and happy life together. There were shenanigans - my bestie of over 40 years came for a visit, and we laughed until we cried, talked late into the nights, and completed the paper mache project you see modeled here.
There was also the last swim of the season, under that beautiful golden light of Autumn, in one of my happy places. And quesabirria at my favorite mercado in St. Paul, an arts crawl in the metro, a trip to the north shore, always-incredible conversations over coffee, and so.much.love.
What “I am for” is this. The color, community, friendship, joy…all of this. Forever. Amen. I think I’m finally learning it doesn’t have to be complicated, or make sense to anyone else, it just has to be authentic to me. And as so I will live my life.
And for those that know me well, you know I will need to be reminded of this from time to time. Preferably over coffee.
Thank you for reading and connecting with me. And thank you to those of you who send me a little note to let me know you’ve read my words. I appreciate that so much.
If you think someone else may enjoy my work, I’d be grateful if you’d share this with them or encourage them to visit my website where they can sign up for my newsletter, consider workshops, and peruse past projects.
Have questions? Email me at lisa@lilfishstudios.com
