I discovered Ricë Freeman-Zachery when I came across her book Living the Creative Life. I must admit that based on the title, I almost didn’t open it up. But what I found when I did was such a delightful surprise. The author interviewed 15 working artists about many aspects of their lives as artists. Some of the contributing artists were easy to relate to while others proved much less relatable, but that was the brilliance of the collection of individuals. I can imagine almost any artist reading this and finding validation for idiosyncrasies that had once seemed frustrating or even embarrassing. Ricë Freeman-Zachery really wrote for anyone as well. Some of the tips are best for the novice who has only dabbled with art, while other pieces of advice are great for those who may have been in the game for many years. I was impressed with her ability to do that.
Before even finishing Living the Creative Life when I ordered Creative Time and Space: Making Room for Making Art. I love that the author stuck to the format used in the previous book. We get a new set of 15 artists, this time talking about time management and space allotment for creating. These are my biggest obstacles personally, so I was excited to hear from others who have dealt with similar situations to myself. I was not disappointed. Next up, I plan to read the third book in this series Destination Creativity: The Life-Altering Journey of the Art Retreat. I’ve held off for now. Living in Alaska has been prohibitive when it comes to art retreats and classes. But I remain eager to read what Ricë Freeman-Zachery and her interviewees have to say about their experiences.
Readers of her books will very quickly learn that Ricë Freeman-Zachery is an artist herself, although she makes no attempt to use these books to plug her own work. I can see that being both extremely easy to do and very difficult. I’m constantly tempted to tell people about things I’m working on. Fortunately, she does have some of her work posted on her website. I love working with paper; I believe I really understand how to manipulate it into what I want. What most impresses me about textile artists is the way the same thing can be done in a medium that I have found so difficult to work with. She does some pretty amazing work.