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CCAH Gallery-L to R: Leslie McNamee-Johnson-all around creative gal, Sheri Gaynor-artist/author, Ro Mead, Executive Director on day of show hanging

Hello fellow travelers. What an extraordinary day. I feel as
if I am having an out of body experience-and have requested some herbal
remedies from my friend Dr. Hilary to come back down to planet earth-as I step
into one of the biggest moments of my life.

As Sir Blue and I walked beside the Crystal River this
morning in the thrashing, yet warm wind,
I looked up at my beloved Mt. Sopris and realized that I had come full circle.
Today is the day I will be stepping into my long held dream, that of writing a book
and you know what…for the first time I can truly feel it! It's real.

A swell of gratitude surfaced from my heart and a prayer of
grace and thanks was shared with our towns beloved Mt. Sopris. I was reminded
of a day not too long ago when a different prayer was whispered from the top of
Red Hill, which overlooks the ancient peak, "I AM READY!"

It feels important to share with you that there were a lot
of "NO's" on the thoroughfare to
this moment, but I chose not to give up, or give in. With each polite-and
sometimes not so polite-"NO," I took a few days, licked my wounds and created a conscious intention to "Rise from the Ashes." Rise from the ashes is one of the transformation
cards enclosed in the deck. It reminds you that when the going gets tough, with
a little help from our friends, Feisty Females™ keep going!

Yesterday, as I hung the show, the long awaited books
finally arrived. It was pretty close, we weren't sure we were going to have
books to sign for the hometown gig! I had to go home to get some hooks for one
of the paintings and there they were. The box had split apart and I could see
the book spines! YIKES! That gave my heart a little jolt. I picked the box up
and loaded them into my car to take back to the gallery.

I arrived and there were quite a few people in the gallery
that I knew. When they saw the box, they ran and got the scissors. We ripped
into the box and everyone started hooting and hollering. There were even quite
a few tears shed on the gallery floor. Some of the relationships have spanned
my 20 years here in our Valley. One of the  women in the gallery at that moment was, Ro Mead, the
director of the Carbondale Council on Arts and Humanities-where my opening will
be held. Ro has been mentor and constant champion for this creative journey I have
been on and at that moment, I came to that deep understanding…once again.
Count your blessings on the roads you have traveled, for there will be many in
your life who light your way and will hold your hand and cheer you on-if and when-the journey gets rough. They will also be there when times are joyous, to
revel in your success and know exactly where you've been.

To each and every one of you who have held my hand, cheered me on and helped
me find my way to this amazing moment…words can not express the gratitude I
am feeling today. Thank you….

Join us in the Creative Awakenings Discussion Salon and share the adventure….

7 Responses

  1. Aw…Sheri…my tears of joy would be on the studio floor too. What an awesome day for you…and those who love you. Your creative spirit has been a great beacon to me in so many ways! Enjoy every minute!

  2. Congratulations you pink-booted-cheer-leading-rock star!!! Your circle of loved ones are most certainly bursting with pride – you deserve every single moment of delicious joy that finds its way to you, so drink it in!

  3. WHAT A NIGHT! It finally hit this morning. Thank you for your beautiful and encouraging comments. I feel the love. I really do. I am bursting. I will be posting video from the event this weekend. The walls were covered with paint. It was GORGEOUS! Sold out the 20 books I had-don’t ask-in less then an hour and my husband said people were fighting over the last copies! Love to you all and thank you for your support.

  4. Hi Sheri…congratulations on the fruition of your dream. You created that reality and may your creative spirit continue to burst forth!