Finding Your People - Part 1 (2019) | with Anne and Ric
The next two episodes of More are going to be a little different.
You might be listening to this podcast because you’re a fan of Starfire’s work, or maybe you’re curious about how to build community in your own life. So in honor of that, the next two episodes are going to be hosted by Anne and Ric (Richard). These two have been designing community in Anne’s neighborhood for a while now.
You’ll learn how they began their process of designing community together. First, by learning about each other, over many conversations about art. Ric shares how he learned about Anne’s creativity and her love of poetry. Then, you’ll hear how they explored places in the city in order to find connections with people who share this interest.
Listen to PART TWO to hear about how they held onto these connections in 2020 pandemic mode.
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FULL TRANSCRIPT
Anne: To me meeting new people is like inspiration to me because meeting new people is inspiration to me because I like talking to people and being with people.
Katie B: You might be listening to this podcast because you are a fan of Starfire’s work or maybe you’re curious about how to build community in your own life. So in honor of that the next two episodes are going to be hosted by Anne and Ric. These two have been working together to build community in Anne’s neighborhood with a concentration in connecting artists to one another. You’re going to want to hang on and listen to part 2 because that is when ric and anne share the ways that they were able to maintain the connections that they made one year ago in anne’s neighborhood with other artists virtually during this global pandemic. So when you listen to this part one you’ll be introduced to a lot of the people who you’ll hear about again in part two, only in the second part it is going to be a little bit trickier to maintain these connections, and I think you’ll hear a lot of hope in both of these stories.
(1:09 – 5:41)
Ric: Okay my name is Richard and I work for Starfire Council in Cincinnati Ohio, I’m a community connector there and I’m here today to interview Anne Gerhart who I’ve been working with since February and today is June 12th, 2019. Anne do you want to say hello and tell us a little something about yourself?
Anne: Uh sure, hey everybody I’m from Cincinnati Area, I’m Anne Elizabeth Gerhart, I’m 21, and yeah I think that’s all I got so far.
Ric: OK, Anne and I started working together in February after I first met you and your mom for coffee, started talking about your various interests and it seems like creativity is the one thing that flows through. You are an artist a poet and you do lots of different kinds of art. What are some things that you do when you spend time making art?
Anne: Well I like to paint, I also do canvas painting, sketching, I also draw and I also take pictures of really cool things.
Ric: Theres a wide variety of different creative outlets that you enjoy.
Anne: Yes.
Ric: Different artistic media that you enjoy, you said painting and drawing, and you said photography, see I didn’t even know that one! So our idea was to work together to meet people who shared the same interest as you, try to make some connections in community, to build some new relationships and deepen and strengthen the friendships you already have in your life. And we started out kind of casting about around town to meet other people in the arts and crafts community. Did you want to mention any of the places we went together during that process?
Anne: Yeah I can do that! We went to the art museum, went to look some art paintings there, we also went to arts shops, we went to indigo hippo the crafty place
Ric: That’s right! Is that the place near Findlay market?
Anne: Yes, we also went to Michaels. We got to learn something new and crafty, we went to the downtown library and went to the makerspace and got to make some buttons. Also we also went to luckman’s and talking about art work.
Ric: I’m glad you mentioned the museum because when we first started out together, to get to know each other, to get more acquainted, to learn more about your interests since it became clear right away that your primary interest is art, we started out at the museum, the beautiful Cincinnati art museum, up in Mt. Adams we had a great convo that day and that feels like a place we might turn to for inspiration from time. But you’re right, from there we went to check out different art stores and we did pop into Michaels, I remember you buying something for your grandmother’s birthday.
Anne: Yes I made her a cute necklace and I got her some fake flowers. They really don’t have a smell but she really likes it.
Ric: Yeah that’s right, We found a jewelry making kit there too, it was in their clearance rack too, only a couple bucks!
Anne: It was really hard to put jewels on it, it was really really hard to put them on
Ric: MmHmm yea. That’s right
(5:41 – 7:29)
Ric: We set up at Luckman’s as we often do, the coffee shop in your neck of the woods where we made friends with the barista there named Maria, we might even pop in there to say hi on our way home. Ad another guy there named Trace? Hes there fairly often
Anne: Sometimes if we do go to Luckman’s we always see Ric’s buddy, We always see Simon!
Ric: Simon’s another customer there, we end up talking to him about music, art and movies it turns out your family takes vacation to the same part of Florida where he visits his family in the summer
Anne: Yes I remember that, it’s really fun down there, it’s cool.
Ric: Anyways, We took that jewelry kit that we found real cheap to Luckman’s coffee shop. But you did a really good job at putting that necklace together.
Anne: She loved it.
Ric: She loved it?
Anne: Yes, one time when we went to visit my grandma, she has been telling me my granpa has been telling me how nce it was that I would get my grandma fake flowers that don’t smell
Ric: I think you also mentioned that we popped into Indigo Hippo, a thrift store downtown
Anne: Yes, they have really old stuff
Ric: Old stuff, repurposed stuff
(7:29 – 9:00)
Ric: I feel like we really struck gold when we discovered the hobby pop arts and crafts shop right there in your neighborhood where beth betcker is the owner ot the shop and her assistant Megan. They just embraced us right away. They said you come by any time and make art with us
Anne: And it’s free you can take your art home with you
Ric: You’re right, you can take the art home with you!
Anne: For free. One time I made some thing really cool. I have a lot of crafting ideas. I made a dog canvas art. I mad Breezy Woods. Breezy woods is actually a dog in a movie. I got to make that on a canvas.
Ric: Beth had some great suggestions along the way, and you two hit it off right away and we fouond as we were looking around town to meet people who are interested in arts and crafts, and more importantly to make some new friends and build some connections in that community to try to work on new projects and goals together to make new friends in that community and then to work on projects together with them and it looks like we might have an opportunity to volunteer on a semi regular basis helping Beth and her assistant Megan at the shop.
(9:00 – 11:05)
Anne: I have a few questions for Ric.
Ric: You have questions for me?
Anne: Yeah!
Ric: Oh okay!
Anne: My main title for the questions is being with Ric has inspired me to do new things and I have two questions for Ric:
My first question is what is your favorite thing that we did?
Ric: Wow. Well my favorite thing we did, I’m really tempted to say it’s the day we discovered Beth Becker at hobby pop shop.
Anne: She’s really cool.
Ric: She is really cool and that felt like we had spent several weeks looking for her and we finally found her right in your back yard. So that’s a close second. I have to say my favorite thing was the day we were at Luckman coffee shop and you showed me your poems!
Anne: Yes I’m actually a poet and I write my own poems.
Ric: I didn’t know We had been working together for weeks and we had been talking about arts and crafts and drawing and painting and making jewelry, you’ve done all these creative things! I think that you have this creative drive and artistry inside of you, you live to make stuff. It’s very beautiful that you make stuff and you give it away, like the card for your mom.
Anne: Yes
Ric: But the day you showed me your poetry that’s my favorite things because I was pleasantly surprised because there was this whole other creative side of you that I didn’t know about. And you had a whole notebook full of your poetry with you that day.
Anne: Yes um I actually just finished my poems all this week. And I’m actually a songwriter, I write my own songs and I produce it to my piano.
(11:05 – 12:22)
Ric: So what do you think about this journey so far?
Anne: Well um..what I do with Rick is really fun and being inspired by new things
Ric: So what has it been like for you meeting people? You know like showing up to new places and meeting new people like Beth at the hobby pop?
Anne: To me meeting new people is like inspiration for me because I love talking to people and being with people
Ric: That’s great. What do you think looking into the future what are the possibilities that you can imagine for this journey as we move forward and what are the risks and challenges you see?
Anne: I don’t see any challenges at all but I’m just trying to do my best and meet new people
Ric: Yeah, I feel that about you too. I think you are a person with a great many gifts. Your perspective on the world is that you don’t even see challenges. You just get out in the world and meet people and make your art and by making your art and sharing with your friends and family you make the world a better place.
(12:22 – 14:50)
Anne: I have a last question for Ric
Ric: I didn’t know you had any questions for me so this is a surprise
Anne: My last question for Ric is name a time we talked about art.
Ric: Wow, I would say between feb and jue of 2019 we have been talking about art nonstop. This conversation we are having right now started back in February and we are still talking about art. I guess i If I had to mention a highlight in there I know I already mentioned this, but finding out you were also a poet that was a big day for me and that first day too walking through the museum talking about what we saw there the kinds of art we enjoy, how the different paintings and sculptures and tings resonate with you that was a good day and again up at the hobby pop shop where we finally made some friends there that feels like another part of this conversation about art making and creativity that was a real highlight for me when we discovered them and found a way that not just that we appreciate what we’re doing there but we feel like they are a part of your tribe, like these are your people, they are part of your tribe of creative artsy people after looking for weeks around town. Very fun people to be around, right there in your neighborhood!
Anne: Yes
Ric: One of the first things we did together with Beth and Megan at the hobby pop show was paint rocks, do you remember that?
Anne: Yeah I remember that
Ric: And that was for a local, not really a fundraising, but They are raising awareness of a young girl who sadly passed away where they put a website and hashtag on the botton of the rock and then you paint it a colorful pattern and then you return it to the wild so someone will find it on a trail or a city sidewalk and when someone finds it they turn it over they will see the website and the hashtag. You remember that?
Anne: I remember that, Yeah
Ric: So art is where you find it and for you I think you are one of those people that art is everywhere you look, art is everywhere you go.
(14:50 – 17:08)
Anne: I just wanted to add something about art if that’s okay?
Ric: Absolutely
Anne: To me, art is like a passion to me because it’s like a gift
Ric: It is isn’t it? And I really appreciate that about you.You said that a moment ago and you aren’t nervous. And I feel that about you, that this is just something you naturally do. It just flows out of you you don’t have to fake it, or worry about what other people think because you are who you are and your art is what it is and it’s just a natural extension of your personality.
Anne: Yes.
Ric: That’s a beautiful thing.
Anne: Yes! And I was thinking that maybe I could sell my own artwork. I’ve never done that before and I’m very excited to do it, so I can make some money of my own.
Ric: That would be nice wouldn’t it?
Anne: Yeah and maybe I can show everybody my artwork!
Ric: Yeah
Anne: And if people are listening to this from the Cincinnati area right now if you have any art requests you can always let me know and I can come up with something for everybody who’s in Cincinnati
Ric: That’s fantastic. Well I’m excited for you in this next chapter of your development as an artist. Many artist never find themselves in a place where they can create art and maybe even make a little money from it. So I do hope that works out for you, that’s exciting.
Anne: Yeah
Ric: Did you have anything else you wanted to say before we wrap it up?
Anne: This is like an ending part if you want to say it with me?
Ric: Ok sure
Together: Wake Up USA!
Anne: Thank you so much for listening