Festival of the Masters

I spent a day in my dream life yesterday and I had the time of my life!

The last twenty four hours have been life changing for me. I have a new hunger inside me that I haven't had for months. It all started innocently enough, I went to the 37th annual Festival of the Masters at Downtown Disney yesterday.

The  open-air fine arts festival features nearly 150 award-winning artists, sidewalk chalk art, limited-edition fine art, photography, sculpture, jewelry, glass art, Disney collectibles, live music and more.


Art from an array of Disney artists were on display and I love my Disney artists! The Disney Artist Village tent at Pleasure Island was the coolest thing ever! This is where I came upon one John Coulter, he paints Disney Princesses, among other things, and he's one of those people you look at and think, no one should be that good looking. However, what surprised me the most was when I was standing inside the tent looking at his art, he had this one painting in particular of Snow White, and the dwarf''s faces were all carved in the trees on either side of where she was and the gown had these embellishments on it and her face... it was just a beautiful piece of artwork, it resonated with me and at one point I realized Mr. Coulter was standing behind me and I said something, sort of expecting to get the generic thanks, or to be brushed off, but the man's eyes lit up at my compliment and in that second I realized
I'd met a kindred artist spirit.

In the conversation that followed I came to realize he was genuinely one of the sweetest people I've ever met. Something about him resonated with me. I think it was that for the first time ever, I realized I was standing with another swan. (If you have no idea what I'm talking about, please refer to my other life blogs where I've been running the ugly duckling life scenario) I'd never felt that before and I just wanted to stand there all day and soak it in. Oh and he's doing Cinderella in the same style as that Snow White I was telling you about. I cannot wait to see it!

One of the other artists I met yesterday was Michelle Robison. She creates the most unique jewelry I've ever seen. Among her mermaid and sea creature jewelry, she also does rings with your fur babies that have crossed rainbow bridge. It was the most moving thing, and as a woman who lost a dog earlier this year, it too resonated with me.

Another artist that I fell in love with was Teresa Merriman who makesleather bound journals filled with handmade paper. They are exquisite!

For the first time at Festival of the Masters there was an Emerging Masters area, where more than 30 juried up-and-coming artists showcased works and competed for awards. There were displays where visitors could participate in arts and craft projects, Rain Forrest Cafe had the most beautiful parrot on display for guest to have their picture taken with and there was the most stunning sidewalk chalk art display, I felt like I'd stepped into a scen from Marry Poppins!

Aside from all the art, and there was so much of it, everything from jewelry, to paintings, to sculptures, to food art, there was also complimentary face painting and live entertainment by performers from La Nouba by Cirque du Soleil, domino games at Fuego by Sosa Cigars of which I sat with my friend and played for a while as a live band at Ragland Road entertained us... speaking of which, if you're ever at Downtown Disney and you are an onion ring fan, you have GOT to try the ones at Cookes of Dublin. Yes they're five dollars, and yes for that price you only get about seven, but OMG they are an experience worth having! Just sayin' ;-)

So it was a great day, and when I got home, late last night I got an email from someone I'd met earlier in the day asking if I wanted to meet for drinks. I hesitated for a bit, I mean, a stranger is a stranger, artist or not, but in the end I went and it turned out to be him and several of his friends, and we sat at this bar at Disney until they closed, discussing art and the life of being an artist and THIS was when my entire life changed.

I remembered who I am, I'm an artist. Yes my art takes the form of novels these days, but I'm an artist in my soul and these people last night got that and we met on a level I've never met people on before. I knew then, that was the life I wanted without doubt. I want to surround myself with artists, and not to be cruel, but successful ones. One's who take their craft seriously and do something about bringing it to the world. There was an energy buzzing around last night that I've never felt before and I want to live in that energy.

I left there with more confidence in myself then I've had this whole year and I know without doubt now what I have to do, who I have to become.

Coffee this morning only solidified all I felt yesterday and all I learned. My life is in a new place today, I have to figure out a way to hang onto this, but I have at least two new friends now who I never would have met had I not gone yesterday and I have to hold onto this feeling for as long as I can.

One of the things that someone said last night was that none of us are one thing, you may have success in one thing, but we all create anyway we can in any medium that calls to us in the moment and we should embrace that.

I loved that, because yes, I'm focused on making my writing career a success, but I also paint and sketch and sculpt and make jewelry and do a hundred other things and last night I realized that was okay! All of those things feed my artist soul and I need them. I don't need to be sitting here playing computer games to unwind, I need to be painting. I don't need to be sitting here frustrated about my website issues, I need to be writing. I don't need to be doing mindless shopping with people who don't care about me one way or the other, I need to surround myself with like minded souls and have dinner parties and drinks over amazing conversation about art and dreams and life.

Last night, for maybe the first time in my entire life, I was swimming in a lake of other swans, not in a pond of ducks and it felt amazing! I never want to let go of that feeling. I know without doubt now where I'm headed, I'd had a slight understanding of it before, but I've seen it now and I know what it feels like and I won't stop until I live in that lake permanently. There is no other option. 

If you're in the Orlando are today you have one more chance at Festival of the Masters and I highly recommend it! Who knows, it could be entirely life changing. ;-)