Spindleworks is wishing you a happy and healthy winter season. It's been a while since we've posted, and this is my own very first post! My name is Franci. I'm a Bennington College sophomore spending my mandatory winter internship here at Spindleworks. I'll be working and posting for 5 more weeks. I've been in Brunswick for just over one week and, as I'm sure you can imagine, am feeling quite at home already here at Spindleworks.

There have been moments every day that have felt blog-worthy. To watch the development of skills and confidence first hand is fascinating, but more importantly, inspiring. Just this morning, I found a book in the Spindleworks store, Voices. It's a collaboration between a few branches of Independence Association and another art nonprofit. There are pages that feature only visual art, but many include written word. The photo above is of one of my favorite pages. It reads:

"anarchy means not being satisfied with the status quo and hatred for things that are bad...i admire punk rock musicians because they tell in their songs what the politicians won't tell you. if i could be on tv and tell the viewers anything i wanted, i would tell them that being autistic can be a good thing."

I decided on this moment for today's post because it seemed to tie together the days I've spent at Spindleworks so far. This type of confidence present in the artists is perhaps the most refreshing part of this job, as it is the core of their artistic potential. Spindleworks artists are not just painters, just writers, just weavers; almost all of them spread their creativity over as many art forms as they can, letting each medium speak to the others with security and confidence. It's a holistic embrace of creative potential that I long to translate into my own art. I look forward to reflecting on the weeks and events of Spindleworks that may inspire you as they have me.