Originally Posted on: Aug 15, 2011 by Lynn Powers

When life takes us away from our creative stream, it can feel daunting to re-enter the flow. I've been in a holding pattern for some time now, but a 50-year-old local tradition has helped snap me out of my doldrums. It's called the Clothesline Sale, and it's an idea worth sharing. Every August local artists gather on the county courthouse lawn and sell their art. When the sale started a half century ago, artists hung their work on clotheslines strung from tree to tree. Now many of the trees have been replaced by display booths, but to this day the Clothes Line Sale permits artists to sell good paintings at a reasonable price and still make a profit.

The sale featured a diversity of levels, mediums, and subjects. Many concepts, some executed with skill, and others still in their beginning stages, were on display. It was fun to let my mind race in a million directions. I also thoroughly enjoyed seeing what my friends have been up to these past few months. (See below: a snapshot of Carolee Clark, who has contributed articles to our blog.)

The sale was non-threatening, eye opening, and filled with my mind with potential. I came home and painted for the first time in months. What do you do to lift yourself out of an artistic rut?