What do you say if you have nothing to say?

You probably start with an introduction. Like: Hi, I’m Beth. I’m new to this and suffering from stage fright.

Nah. You don’t want to alienate your first audience. You want to come across as self-possessed and semi-intelligent. You want to give your audience the confidence to trust that what you are telling them will be useful, interesting, or entertaining. You want them to return here to read again.

So, a little about this person who calls herself a Renaissance Chick: I am writer, artist, and artisan.

Story telling is something I’ve done since forever. I remember telling stories as a small child, then when I learned to write, I’d write them down. Illustrating those stories, and just drawing because I could, started early as well. Crafting things came early also. I remember playing with clay, learning to embroider, making hollyhock dolls and mud pies.

In these pages I hope to discuss some of these endeavors, as well as others, and remark on how it all is what it is.

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Rings, Poetry and Paint

This sums up pretty much what I do. The ring, which is .999% silver and dichroic glass, represents the artisan. I  have played around with metalsmithing and pottery pretty seriously since high school, and have dabbled in many other crafts.  The watercolor represents the art aspect. I also write. I’ve had poetry and short prose works published, and I’m currently working on a novel.

(My website http://www.elisabethmiles.com shows much of the artwork I’ve done in the past fifteen or so years. I have a newer version of it that incorporates the writing and jewelry, and will get that up as soon as I finish up a few details.)

Making art has always been such a part of me that I can’t imagine not doing it. I love the making, but have never really valued it as real work, and thus have not let it support me in any fiscal way. That’s sad, because in not valuing this gift, I have not honed and improved it as I might have. I think that as a society we do not value the arts as much as they should be. We artists have the same societal mind-set, and too many of us are dabblers who rely on our “day jobs” to support ourselves.

My great hope is that this upcoming generation sees the arts as necessity for human-ness, and encourages young artists, artisans, musicians, writers, dancers, actors and all who “have talent” as much as those who have a knack for math and science. We need it all.