It Was Magic

Recently, I talked with silk artist Diane Fredgant about art and creativity. In our conversation, I learned that Diane didn’t start as a fabric artist, nor did she seek to become a silk artist. It was as if the medium found her. Diane began her creative endeavors as a sculptor, working in stone and wood. She also earned a […]

Deemed Decorative

I call Diane a silk artist, though she admitted to me that she didn’t always see herself as an artist.  “I went between thinking that I’m a craft person and an artist,” she said. “But I got to that point where I can say I’m an artist.” “Is that because some of the things you […]

Art Evokes Emotion

When Diane and I talked about what gives art meaning, she spoke about the intention and heart behind a piece of artwork. “It’s something that evokes an emotion,” she said. “It doesn’t smack you in the face but pulls an emotion out of you. You look at it, and you feel something.” Over ten years […]

It Takes Two

As a dancer, I’ve always known that it takes two to tango. But recently, I’ve been thinking that all creative endeavors need two—the writer and the reader, the artist and the viewer, the musician and the listener, and even the cook and the diner. When two people dance tango, they create and experience each other’s […]

Sharing Scares Me

When I tango, I know how the dance feels for me, but I never know how my partner experiences it. That uncertainty makes me uncomfortable. Yet if I want to dance, I have to put myself out there and connect with a partner. It’s the same with writing. I know what the creative experience means […]

Don’t We Need More?

It takes two to tango, but as a writer or an artist, don’t we need more? It’s easy to think we do. We live in a world that motivates us to acquire a multitude of followers, get tons of likes, and sell boatloads of books or art. That’s the business of art.  Does that give […]

Just Relax

Just relax. Nothing stresses me out more than when someone says that to me. Relax is a confusing instruction. While it sounds like the person is telling me what to do, in reality they are telling me what not to do. They are telling me not to be tense. And the moment I think of […]

Women’s Stories

As with cocktails, changing a few elements can completely transform a story. Over the past year, a group of fellow Maggidot, female Jewish storytellers, and I have discovered the power of this transformation. Our mission—to put together a collection of Jewish stories where women take the leading role. Some of the stories are our re-interpretation […]

Manhattan Monday

Mondays are rough. When I wake up in the morning, my mind buzzes with everything on my To Do list, and I feel overwhelmed. But since summer, I have something to look forward to on Mondays—the creative search for a variation of my favorite cocktail, the Manhattan. Inspired by my cousin, who posts pictures of himself and […]

Hidden Stories

Every morning I walk my dog through my neighborhood. We stroll down the street past boutique stores, art galleries, bars and restaurants. I peer through the windows and wonder what stories these places could tell. What dreams came alive here? Or perhaps, what dreams died? Did people fall in love or did they argue? It […]