Twenty four hours until the unicorn birthday party. My oldest child turns 10 this week. Together with my unicorn for a decade. It’s marvelous. It’s sweet. Reaching double digits feels like an achievement, like a success.
Numbers are on my mind. How do we track our accomplishments, the markers of success, the meaning of life? Is it with numbers?
Eleven years of marriage. My youngest child is almost 3.
Seventeen years of my life in the Triangle.
Personal life numbers: Years together, years apart, years to go. Grey hairs, miles logged, the hours of sleep we’ve missed, and the hugs we’ve shared that made time stop. The number of times we’ve heard words that made us catch our breath.
Professional numbers: Words written, rehearsals attended, dollars earned and paid, audiences we’ve touched, ideas we’ve had that have been realized and haven’t been realized and soared or fell flat, the number of books we’ve written in our heads, the number of times we’ve hauled equipment and traveled for gigs. The hours of sleep we’ve missed, and the hours we’ve lost to sweet creative flow…making time stop.
How many times has art moved you, taught you, inspired you, caused you to catch your breath?
This is one of my biggest numbers. As an art-maker, an arts-supporter, an arts-lover….the number of times that I’ve been moved, taught, inspired, and caught my breath through experiencing art — that number is meaningful in an epic way that straddles the personal and professional categories for me. It’s a number that has increased exponentially since last September when I recorded the first episode of Artist Soapbox.
On this eve of the unicorn birthday party, I wonder what Artist Soapbox will be in another decade when I have a 20 year old, 21 years of marriage, a 13 year old and more grey hairs and miles logged and life lived. Another decade of personal and professional life and art created.
Friends, numbers are on my mind. We have amazing artists doing amazing work here in the Triangle, and I need your help to give them the platform they need and deserve. Listenership is increasing, demand is increasing, and the opportunities are increasing. How I wish I could increase the hours in my day to accommodate that growth!
If you feel moved to add yourself to the number of Artist Soapbox patrons, please do so right now this minute. A few dollars a month makes a difference.
If any of the last 38 ASBX podcast episodes or dozen blog posts have moved you, taught you, or inspired you, please show your support by contributing financially. To speak plainly, I need the patronage number to go up in order for ASBX to celebrate another birthday.
*Get on the Soapbox with us via Patreon or make a one-time donation via PayPal at PayPal.Me/artistsoapbox.*
Through the power of the podcast, Artist Soapbox supports local artists, builds relationships and engages community. With patron support, I can produce more episodes by building a team and outsourcing work to local artists for actual $$. I can also promote the podcast more widely to give artists a boost, strengthen connections, and spark conversation about the very real correlation between thriving artists and a thriving community.
Thank you for reading, for listening, and for your support,
Tamara
P.S. Turns out anyone can be a unicorn. Just go to Party City and buy a horn.
