Note: This 25-minute podcast (the YouTube link is at the bottom of this post) is the first in a series of ISW Conversations with artist and author Carolyn Dahl on creativity and archiving as a way to honor our lifetime efforts.
Topics that are addressed:
It’s important for older women to consider the question, “Who am I?” In Carolyn’s case, she has led a creative life that has spanned theater, art, and writing.
A life review and archive are important to do in order to line up and gather all the things in your life in order to see the threads, pattern,s and connections of your life.
Having a sense of curiosity helps you view your creative choices.
While culture can inform someone’s early creative life, you can transfer these lessons (or rhythms, in Carolyn’s case) into new creative areas. Some of these changing interests can be sparked by a life transition or a different environment.
Fabric, especially in relation to clothing, has a place in culture. This also can be tied to ancestors. Working with hands through quilting or other creative endeavors also can be therapeutic.
There are stories in quilts or textiles, depending on the fabric used, which could be an old dress or fabric that has sentimental value.
As preservationist, Carolyn does not embrace minimalism or decluttering. She believes that everything we own has a message or gives us something. In decluttering, women can give away something that has a story, is precious or means something to the person.
Poetry and writing are Carolyn’s way of recording stories, people, events, and things that are disappearing and then creating a tangible way for people to understand.
Women need to save their stories, whether that’s letters or notes.
Featured on This Podcast:
Brenda Riojas, I Start Wondering columnist, who grew up along the U.S./Mexico border, sees every day as a mini resurrection, noting that every day you wake is a new day to be alive. Nunc Coepe, Now I Begin. A poet, journalist, editor, mother, wife, creative spirit, and citizen of the world, Brenda embraces each moment before her – even the challenges, which are moments for learning and growth. She thrives on sharing what she learns and motivating others to explore further. When she’s not writing, interviewing, or researching, you will find her chasing butterflies or other nature views, cycling along country roads, or creating something in her art studio. Her suitcase is always nearby and ready for the next travel adventure.
Carolyn Dahl, who is an artist and author, was the Grand Prize winner in the national ARTlines2 poetry contest and a finalist in the PEN Texas Literary competition and the Malovrh-Fenlon Poetry Prize. Her chapbook, Art Preserves What Can't Be Saved, won first place in the Press Women of Texas contest and the National Federation of Press Women's Communications contest, chapbook division. She is the co-author of The Painted Door Opened: Poetry and Art, the author of three art books, and has been published in many anthologies and literary journals. Raised in Minnesota, she now writes from Texas where she raises monarch butterflies, sending them north to Midwest habitats.
Resources:
Carolyn Dahl’s website, which includes information about her work and ordering her books
I Start Wondering Column: Preserving Our Stories for Posterity: Artist and Writer Carolyn Dahl on Archiving
I Start Wondering column: A Life Review: Who Are You Becoming?
Photos from I Start Wondering Column: Preserving Our Stories for Posterity: Artist and Writer Carolyn Dahl on
Thank you, Carolyn and Brenda, for this podcast! I really hadn't thought about the thread of creativity that runs through our lives, but over the summer I found some things that I had made much earlier in life that my mother had saved. In looking at these, I found myself honoring my long-time creative spirit while committing to finding new ways to be creative moving forward. Your story really serves as an inspiration, Carolyn, for all of us to do that!