WHAT SHALL WE DO WITH OUR ORIGINALS?
A letter from Merton to his dear DA friend in which he discusses the issue of what to do with our original creations
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My dear friend,
I read your conclusions for your art with interest. Well, I always want to keep my originals and give away or sell copies. I am rather attached to my artwork and kinda view each piece as a child. I have been successful about giving away some scarves. I still seldom give them away.
For the longest time I was creating all sorts of things for the bookstore/art gallery/lesson space/performance space that I dreamed of creating. I did have a huge amount of art, lit, craft created, but I had to throw a lot of things out when I moved.
Lately I have been grieving this, and it hurts that I do not have many of my creations any more, things that I would have used to make my bookstore/gallery/lesson space/performance space. I still have many creations, but I had to throw out many (there was not even time to give them away).
I do not have the misgivings about giving away or sending copies. I make cards all the time using copies/prints of my original art... for Mothers Day, Fathers Day, Christmas, etc. I would say, keep thinking and praying about what to do with your art.
You must do what feels right with your art. I will only say that I grieve the loss of my originals. I like having them, knowing that my life's work is here with me, a amassed in one place, so that an archive could be made of it, when my journey on earth is done. I hope that will happen. That is in my will for that to happen and for the archive to go to a library.
Probably silly, but I like knowing it is all here, amassed,either for an archive when I die or for my store/gallery/lesson space/performance space (where I would sell prints/copies and direct people to my websites where copies of books, recordings, art art available.
So those are my thoughts for whatever it is worth. Keep thinking, praying and listening to your muse concerting this and other concerns related to your art.
Love,
Merton
