A Room of One's Own

Command Central
2222 Ventura Blvd. Camarillo, CA Studio A-2

"...five hundred pounds sterling and a room of her own."  This is Virginia Woolf's formula for a woman to write.  She was fortunate enough to inherit that amount of income per year for her lifetime.   The conversion adjusted for inflation is roughly $50,500.  She also had her own room, with a lock.  I can do that!

I love this quote from the web page referenced below as well:

"Lock up your libraries if you like; but there is no gate, no lock, no bolt that you can set upon the freedom of my mind."  So Woolf challenges the patriarchal system that allows a man to choose any livelihood he desires, but often requires a woman to live her life in full support of his enterprise instead of deciding upon her own path.


(Ventura County Library supporters may appreciate this quote in light of recent privatization and budget cuts.)


http://classiclit.about.com/od/roomofonesownvw/fr/aa_aroom.htm

I'm far from a raging feminist, if there are any of them anymore... but.  I've learned a lot in the last fifty years about society and how I've personally responded to my perception of my role as a woman.  I've worked as an entrepreneur for the last 20 years.  I also chose to stay home and raise my children.  I enjoyed the luxury of time and resources to support a creative life that has brought me to this point.  I think I can do this; Virginia Woolf is my idol!

I'm so happy with the work I'm doing!  In the next two weeks I have:

• Two new watercolor classes (Tuesday morning 9-12 and Tuesday evening 7-10)
• One demo for the Thousand Oaks Art Association (Thursday, January 20 at 7 pm open to the public for a $10 non-member's fee)
• One solo show at Gallery 113 in Santa Barbara (Opening at First Thursday, February 3 from 5-8)
• One group invitational show at the Hillcrest Center for the Arts in Thousand Oaks (Not sure of the details here yet but it's up the first week of February.)
• At the end of the month I have a workshop here at SCIART.  (Mixed media workshop using Yupo 9-1 on Saturday, February 26)

That's the promised laundry list.  Hope I haven't lost you or the thread of logic here.  Basically I'm grateful to be a woman able to create and share art in the world due to space and resources that support me in my chosen work.  I'd like to think I'm adding something of value to the world.