An Unexpected Opportunity

© 2022 Deborah Curtis Designs. All rights reserved.

In my last post, I described how I was dealing with the one-year death anniversary of my husband, Rich. As if that didn’t bring along enough emotions that took me for a ride, I had something come about that was quite surprising.

I received an email in early January from Alisha Siebers, the Executive Director of the Vicksburg Cultural Arts Center. I am on her email list for local artists. The message was short and to the point. The Schoolcraft Community Library in Schoolcraft Michigan had a call for artists. They were looking for a local artist to participate in an early 2022 art exhibition.

Alisha Siebers and I meeting at Windfall Coffee House in Vicksburg.

I must go back to the weekend before I received the email. On both Saturday and Sunday, I was feeling a persistent feeling like God was trying to get my attention. At first, it was a very subtle feeling. But by the end of Sunday evening, after quiet contemplation and prayer… I understood what God wanted of me.

I learned a long time ago that when God wanted my attention, and I felt his promptings, I didn’t ignore his communication. I don’t know how God speaks to your heart or what other people experience, but I know how he communicates with me. When I was younger and I didn’t understand what was going on, I at times would put God’s call aside. I was always sorry! Now, when I know He’s reaching out to me, I listen and gladly respond.

What it feels like is a gentle knocking on the door of my mind. It’s hard to describe, but it’s like something needs my attention. As I thought about it, I would see images float through my mind. Almost like a movie trailer. Bits and pieces of communication. Then, along with that, there is like a confirmation. It’s like an “Ah, hah!” moment.

God was urgently asking me to quickly get my business set up through the State of Michigan, get my business bank account in place, and reach out to a couple of professional associations for artists and apply for membership.

Once I knew what He wanted, as I stated in my last post, my human logic argued back. I was thinking,

How do I even consider participating in a solo art exhibit when I have nothing to show or sell?

You would think I would learn and not have thoughts like this, but I am only human! I immediately felt foolish. This is God’s plan, and as far as I am concerned, I believe He can do whatever He wants to do. So, if He wants an art exhibition, that He shall have. I am The Tool He uses. I have let Him know I will do whatever He asks of me. So I acknowledged receiving His message and that I would work on it straight away. I got busy complying with God’s request.

First, I went online to fill out the application for the Three Rivers Artists Guild. When I read the requirements, I was a bit surprised to see that applicants must be “juried in.” It didn’t intimidate me, but I was surprised that the local Three Rivers membership was taking new members seriously. I actually liked the idea that they cared enough to really get to know a new potential member and what they do. I got my membership check ready, filled out the application, and mailed it the next day. I also notified them on Facebook that I was interested in membership and to watch for my application in the mail.

I have always wanted to be a member of NOAPS, so I filled out their application as well. Both of these associations were already having live juried exhibitions going on. I still don’t know why God wanted me to drop everything and get going, but I did as He asked. I look forward to seeing the answer to that question.

Because of COVID, I did not bring my artwork to the Three Rivers Artists Guild in person. I received an email January 17th, 2022 from the Membership Chair, Lynn Johnson. They have decided to have me send in images of recent pieces to judge instead of the artwork itself. I spoke with my friend, Mary. She helped me decide which artwork I should present for the guild. I sent off the email and said, “Thy will be done!” I placed the membership process in God’s hands.

I must admit, waiting almost a month for an answer was starting to make me a bit anxious. I didn’t get an answer until late in the day on February 13th. I guess it was God’s plan because I got my “Welcome to the Guild” email!

During the wait-time for the guild membership, I received the surprise email from Alisha Siebers about the Schoolcraft Library’s call for artists. Now, that I was in sync with God and was ready to do whatever He wanted me to, it appeared that He was giving me a great opportunity, I had my business applications on track, my memberships were applied for, so I called the library. The email said to ask for Tom Long.

You might know it. January in Michigan typically means snow and/or bad weather. Well, that’s what we got. I left a voice mail for Tom, but 2 days went by with no response.(I later learned the library was closed because of bad weather). I started to lose my enthusiasm. My doubts about really being prepared for an upcoming exhibition started to creep back in.

When I still had no response on the third day, a Saturday… I felt like waiting until Monday. But, God started pushing me again. So, I called the library one more time. Guess what? Tom Long answered the phone. We had a brief discussion and decided that the next best course of action was to meet on Monday, have me bring a few pieces to present and discuss, and go from there.

I took really didn’t have much to show, but in this case, that was okay. I loaded my vehicle with “In Supplication,” “The Long Goodbye,” ”Misty Mountain Reverie,” “Angel of Peace,” “Rich’s Hand,” and “Heavenly Tears.” As I left Klines Resort, I said out loud, ”Thy will be done. If you want me to have a show for you, it will happen. If not, that’s okay, too.”

It has been years since I’ve actively pursued my artist career. I know an exhibition at a small town library may not seem like a big deal, but when you haven’t been active for a while, it can still tie your stomach in knots.

I decided to go in and introduce myself first. Why drag my artwork in if Tom and I weren’t compatible? The way I saw it, we were going to be a team to make the exhibition happen. Was the library/Tom a good fit for me? What did they want from an artist? Would they like my style? What would I have to do if the invited me to exhibit? I just let go, let God.

I walked in, confident that God knew why I was there and I would see if I would be chosen to exhibit. If not, I was no worse off than when I left home. I would leave, go to Family Fare in Vicksburg and pick up a few groceries. No big deal.

For most of my adult life, I was an independent consultant. I worked with real estate investors from around the world. I used to have a booth at Learning Annex events where I would have the opportunity of having around 65,000 attendings walking past my booth. Meeting Tom the librarian wasn’t going to intimidate me!

First, I met Tom and he seemed more frazzled than I was. That’s always a good sign. He took me to the community room where the event would be held. It was large, well-lit, and allowed about 50 people at a time. We then sat down and had a chat about my artist history, my personal tragedies, and my passion for my art. I volunteered to go out to my vehicle and get my artwork to see what he thought.

The parking lot was a thick layer of ice. I had to cross this skating rink to get to my vehicle. My largest piece, “Heavenly Tears,” acted like a sail as the wind caught it on my way to the library door. I just prayed, “Oh, please dear Lord, don’t let me fall and make a fool of myself… or fall and rip my canvas!”

All went well as another librarian held the door for me. After I had all of the pieces inside, Tom hung them to get a good look at them. One moment I remember particularly well. He stood back, was contemplative, really studying “In Supplication.” Then he said, “This — is just beautiful.” I gave an audible sigh of relief! I relaxed from then on. He and I started planning the exhibition. I was in!

Until my next post, be well, be blessed!