Journal

Writing from the art.

Moving From the Center and Into Action: Part 1
Participatory Art, Musings Carrie Ziegler Participatory Art, Musings Carrie Ziegler

Moving From the Center and Into Action: Part 1

Note: I wrote this piece a few weeks ago, then life happened. It’s the first in a 3-part series. I had this breakthrough the other day. It’s such a small thing, but sometimes these small things feel HUGE.

I used to strive for balance all of the time. It was a constant goal and a constant challenge. It took work. And I often felt like I wasn’t succeeding. Over the last few years I’ve come more and more to like the idea of finding my center.

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The Joy of Uncertainty???
Musings Carrie Ziegler Musings Carrie Ziegler

The Joy of Uncertainty???

I heard myself say these words the other day: “I’m really enjoying the uncertainty in the direction of my creative business right now.” Whoa, where did that come from?! In the past, uncertainty has been a very uncomfortable place for me. Uncomfortable and sometimes terrifying! I think it has to do with not running away.

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Salal Dove: In Progress
Studio Work Carrie Ziegler Studio Work Carrie Ziegler

Salal Dove: In Progress

When I think about People's Uprisings, I always see hands. Hands raised in solidarity. Hands raised in defiance. These hands defy those that would oppress them. They say "Yes! I am alive and you cannot hold me down!" But it can be difficult to raise our hands. We need to find our voice - find our power - and unlock it. For some, they have never had a voice and don't even know where to begin. We must move through many layers of fear, of doubt and uncertainty. We need our friends to stand with us. The power of these movements is not so much in the individual as it is in the collective force of the masses coming together for a common goal.

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Redefining Peace
Studio Work Carrie Ziegler Studio Work Carrie Ziegler

Redefining Peace

I have been struggling with the content of the Peace Dove Project. What is it really about? The doves are merely canvases for images that will portray the content of this project. It has always been about giving voice to the voiceless and about bringing struggles to the forefront of our experience. About bringing about positive change with art. But does it address a certain struggle? A certain people or place?

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The Peace Dove Project
Studio Work Carrie Ziegler Studio Work Carrie Ziegler

The Peace Dove Project

The other day I was papering one of my Peace Doves while watching the news. Revolution is in the air. People are dying, and fighting for their rights, and loving, and peacefully protesting everywhere from Wisconsin to Bahrain, from Libya to Algeria. And I am sitting in my house, constructing a dove. People are dying for what they believe in and I am making a Peace Dove? There is something wrong with this picture.

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