Peggy Osterkamp gave a speech at the CNCH 2012 gathering this past weekend, and one of the quotes she posted during the talk was:
“Fortune favors the prepared mind.”
by Louis Pasteur
It’s been bouncing around in my head like mad, even though I’m fairly certain this is not the first time I’ve heard it. Maybe it’s just the first time I listened.
One way of looking at this in today’s society is perhaps by thinking of commercial success that might happen your way if you are totally on top of your craft. Certainly, taking classes in your artistic focus to improve your skills will make you more marketable long-term.
But what if by taking those art classes you open yourself up to new artistic expressions. Having loads of skills in your artistic toolbox would let you try more things, push boundaries, take more risks… or simply say “hmmm, maybe this will work” more often.
Peggy said she didn’t consider herself a risk taker. I chuckled to myself when I heard this because my very first thought after viewing her work was “Wow! Now here’s an artist comfortable with risk.”
So what if what if “risk” to an outsider was simply a very prepared mind. Risk doesn’t sound quite so intimidating then. It sounds as easy as taking art classes and playing with fiber.
