27 Oct Raising Money for the Arts

I was humbled and honored to raise over $8,000 in one night for my community’s incredible arts center! An overflow crowd packed The Saugatuck Center for the Arts for Martins & Musings, where I entertained the crowd with stories of my life on the road as an author. I also shared why my hometown provides me with such support and creative inspiration. I am proud that that 100 percent of the proceeds from the event supports the SCA’s free educational programs. I grew up in the Missouri Ozarks in the 1970s, a time and place in which Crayons were considered high art. But I had people that believed in me, nurtured me, including my aunt – an artist – who would steal me away to the big city on occasion to take me to the theatre, author lectures, and her own exhibits and gallery openings. Most importantly, she invited me to sit at her dinner table with her artist friends, who taught me the beauty and importance of following your passion, talent and dreams, as well as modeled what it meant to be a true entrepreneur. That changed me profoundly. I believe if one child is changed as a result of a program or class at the SCA – or one person’s mind is opened, point of view challenged or heart changed simply by walking into the building, then our collective efforts and dollars will have been worth it. Moreover, I had many martinis! I felt like a literary Dean Martin for one night!