Photo/quote: Borealis Press, 2012

“It is rare to see, in a little boy, the promise of a man, but in a little girl one can almost always see the threat of a woman.”

~ Alexandre Dumas (1802-70)

Rachel Phillips – wonderfully herself

When my photographer husband Kurt and I were at Knoxville’s annual Dogwood Arts Festival Chalk Walk, he captured many artists in the middle of creating amazing images in chalk on the walkways of downtown’s Market Square.

One artist won my heart more than any other: a small girl who was just herself in every way. Rachel didn’t pose self consciously as the older artists did; she just tilted her head and was fully herself. I know she will be a marvelous woman because she is already a very special person.

Dandelion Boy – by Leann Vineyard Cooper

Nearly all the artists we photographed were girls or women. I especially love the whimsy of Leann Vineyard Cooper’s dandelion boy and chalking outside the lines. Because life is messy, it isn’t straight and it blows into the next moment without caring whether you are ready for it.

On Market Square that day, I imagined that my small-town city of a hometown is full of artists expressing themselves even if their art is beautiful for only a season or a week of a month until the rains of late spring wash the chalk away. But beauty for a season is enough. Beauty anywhere is enough.

And I love this quote that was included in one of the pieces of chalk art done by area school children. Creativity is allowing ourselves to take the risk of failure for the possibility of art and fully being ourselves.

~ Anna – 4/18/13