Artists, if you haven’t yet delved between the pages of Julia Cameron’s The Artist’s Way: A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity, highly recommend you do at some point. Each chapter is its own wonder, and so many things ring true of The Artist’s Umbrella and the belief system behind its creation.
One of the most powerful ideals of AU is the support of local artists and the arts. This is inherent in each production, event, and interaction AU holds with its people and community. It seems so obvious, yet is vital in importance. Julia Cameron’s words boldly proclaim, “One of our chief needs as creative beings is support,” galvanizing the power of AU.
During AU’s shows, Brandon Navin (AU’s grand poobah if you will) always stresses that our stage is not a competition. Each artist is equally supported and can always count on the open-hearted welcome. Because of this support, AU hopes to embolden artists to be audacious, take risks, and try new things without fear of being ridiculed or booed off the stage.
Take for instance, the lovely Grace Carras. Amazing Poet! At the most recent show, however, Grace sat on stage with her guitar and played and sang covers and original songs. Audience members sat in awe, many with dropped jaws, as Grace courageously, some might even say audaciously, shared in a new genre. If she was fearful of making mistakes or being wrong in her endeavor, it certainly did not show in her words and voice and strumming fingertips.
This is what AU strives to achieve. Artists being bold. Artists being audacious. Artists supported, as together with AU, we take art to new and even higher levels.