Ah, the day after. That blissful feeling of joy, of complete and utter contentment, where nothing else matters because everything has gone so well and so right. There are always the pre- and post-event duties, the planning, the organization, the last-minute tweaks and late-night trips to art supply stores, but it's all worth it.
I'm talking, of course, about great parties and get-togethers. Author talks. Opening receptions.
In the past month, we—between my daughter and me—have had two author talks and an art exhibit, in three different cities. Each event had its own demands, challenges, and requirements, its own audience, its own joys and successes.
Why do authors, artists (and just about any creative) put on these events, at such great expense of their time, energy, and resources? Because WE LOVE PARTIES. At least that's why I do it. For me, an event, be it an author talk, concert, or art exhibit, is a party. A celebration. A gift. It's sharing with the world the thing that fuels you deep inside, that gives you life.
There really isn't much difference between planning an event and planning a party. You have to decide on a date, time, and place. Ideally, you decide on a theme—in the case of a party, you're answering the question "what's the occasion?" and in the case of an author talk, the question is, "what's the talk about?" You then put together a guest list, create invitations, send them out, receive confirmations, plan on refreshments (and books or whatever products) that you need to bring.
For a dinner party, you cook (or have it catered). For an art exhibit, you print greeting cards and posters (or have that done). For an author talk, you need books. (And in my case, chocolate.)
I could go on... but instead I'll share some pictures from my daughter's art exhibit. Above, at the top of this blog post, is a photo from the "Guided Colors" exhibit—there we see a line-up of the young artists and the artistic director, Pantea Karimi.
Here is the full DragonStorm mural my daughter created, over a span of 3 months. And yes, she participated in the installation and make the final decisions on where each piece is placed. Even seven-year-old artists need to take responsibility for their work!
And here is Aria Luna explaining to a group of friends what the story is behind the mural, and how she created each character.
There will be more photos—as soon as I have a breathing moment to download and sort through everything, write all the thank-you notes, and maybe sleep a little.
In the meantime, you can still get sets of Aria Luna's greeting cards that we sold at the exhibit, to help raise funds for the fire-impacted communities of Northern—and now, sadly, Southern—California. There are eight different designs, two of which feature characters from the Dragon Storm mural, and all net proceeds go to helping the people who lost their homes... especially those in the poorest neighborhoods.
Thank you, to all who came to the exhibit, and especially to everyone who has supported the fundraising effort. Have a wonderful holiday.
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