Turning to Others

Mentors come to us in all kinds of ways. You may meet them face to face at art shows, writing conferences, or in your local artist community, or they may be artists in your field you court from afar, working with them by phone or the occasional email. However, they come to you and whatever form the mentee-mentor relationship may take, the work is always heart-to-heart.

My mentors have been impactful during different stages of my life, helping me uncover more and more moments when my writing accomplishes what I desire, conveying the message I want. During times when my creativity goes on sabbatical, they provide the encouragement, the little nudge I need to get me going again. More than anything, however, their mentoring pushes me to reflect upon my own writing, and notice like Swiss cheese all the holes. And I learned, and learned again, that satisfaction for one’s finished art is a rare thing.