The Hosannas

When my dad opened his own small town law practice, my mom worked lovingly if not at times begrudgingly as his secretary. Office work was all consuming and my dad wasn’t always a good-natured boss. Still, their collaboration kept the doors open in the early years, and a shared sense of humor kept them from killing each other. Money was always tight and often at a crisis point for the lack of it, and so they had a name for the unknowing soul who would step through the door with the legal problem that would keep the lights on. Those clients were the Hosannas, from the Hebrew word meaning save, rescue and savior, and in every sense, an expression of joy. The Hosannas probably never knew what a profound difference they were making in the daily workings of a small business - both financially and in the uplifting of spirits.

My husband and I live extremely modestly in order to stay above water as artists, and out-of-the-blue clients are most definitely Hosannas. Like my dad, it’s really hard for us to separate our work from our sense of worthiness. When someone entrusts us with a project, it is a confirmation, a livelihood, and a source of joy as much as an honor.

This month an Instagram follower reached out to commission a paper sculpture. She’d seen a miniature paper record player I’d made for the Pickwick Independent Press 10x10 and hired me to make something like it for a friend’s birthday. She gave me a ton of creative freedom - this was permission to work in my playful style of building with cardboard and strong glue and then painting and drawing on the surfaces. This paper sculpture record player in miniature (with William Parker album added as a surprise, because it just needed to be…) exists thanks entirely to this month’s Hosanna - the best kind of validation for a creative life.

What can I make for you?