In March, I went to an art meetup at West Windsor Arts, where I really feel at home. I love this place so much, because its goal is to make the arts accessible. And you can tell everything they do is focused on making art an experience for everyone. There are many free events open to the public, including the annual art walk, exhibits, and more!

The art meetup is where artists can gather and share their work, talking about their experiences or challenges they face. One of the most meaningful experiences I had, though, was outside the art meetup itself.

Right next to our hotel, there was a Barnes and Noble. When I went inside, I was amazed by what I saw, because I was greeted by vinyl records from some of my favorite artists. The Beatles, the Police, and so many other great albums were there. I was fascinated looking at them, and I was so happy to see vinyl was making a comeback. I’d listened to records years ago as a kid, because I enjoyed just sitting by the record player and hearing the music play.

The books had a big impression on me, too. I was amazed to see books on all my favorite topics - outer space and the potential for cosmic life, scientific exploration, spirituality, music, and some of my big inspirations, including Jimi Hendrix, Tina Turner, and Muhammad Ali. Seeing those books made me feel I was right where I needed to be.

When I picked up a book on spiritual signs of the Native American people, one of the lines in it stood out to me: it spoke of how we have reached a point in humanity and history where we can’t reject our spiritual side anymore. The spiritual wisdom of ancient cultures and traditions is becoming a part of our lives again. And it’s time to accept it instead of denying its reality.

I rarely see so many signs that I’m on the right track in one place, and so experiencing that kind of synchronicity in that moment astonished me. It gave me a sense of awe. And to be honest, it just blew my mind!

The Art Meetup and Making Friends

I met some great artists at the meetup, but in the beginning, I think we all felt a little unsure of how to start. Many artists spoke a lot about their technical work, and how to build their presence and skills through YouTube and online courses. It seemed so perfect and professional!

But eventually, when it was my turn, I talked about what I sensed bothered us all as artists: we feel we have to compete with each other because we see other artists’ highlight reels on social media platforms. And that can make us feel insecure about our own work. I said the internet can be used in a really helpful way, because I learned about West Windsor Arts through the internet. But the social media competition can harm our confidence in ourselves.

“What’s great about art, though, is that it’s not a competition. We all have something to give,” I said.

I sensed any tension in the room eased up in that moment! One of the artists agreed and admitted, “Too much time online!”

We all ended up getting along well. One of the artists was happy I showcased people of color in my paintings and drawings, and another was encouraged to get out and make new friends when we talked.

By the time this whole experience finished, I felt that we all learned a lot from each other. We could be honest about how modern technology and the internet have brought both great possibilities and great challenges. And we were able to share our favorite pieces with each other. There was one lady who loved creating art with paper, and she brought a whole stack of them! That really made me smile.

I was able to visit the Barnes and Noble one last time before heading back home, and I thanked the woman who worked there for creating such a wonderful experience. She said she was glad I came and hoped I would return!

In the future, I hope to go to more meetups where I can share my work and interact with other artists. I feel it’s important for artists to make those connections, because when we share our challenges with each other, we often feel less alone.