August Creator of the Month: Sherry
Sherry first got in tune with her creativity at 14 when she started figure skating. She remembers clearly how she moved into a luminal creative zone while doing an open axel jump, falling out of the traditional parameters of time and space. Moments of wonder like this inspire her, so now, she captures those moments in a variety of art forms, including painting, photography, and fabric art.
Creativity, as Sherry sees it, is a path of healing. She finds herself mending in the process of making art. For her, creative exploration is essential to garner hope and begin to heal her body and mind. Her painting of Helliwell Park started with a picture she took of the park on Hornby Island, her favourite peaceful place. The painting was more than a piece of creative expression, it helped Sherry explore possible strategies and reorient herself with the hope she needed.
Sherry has continued to explore art to this day. When she was around 50, Sherry took a beginner photography class at Emily Carr. It was a real learning experience for her and she enjoyed it even though it was something new. She continues to self-learn a variety of art techniques through YouTube “how to” videos and websites full of art resources such as OPUS. In her Better-Than-50 skating group, she received a meaningful trophy for still ice skating at 75 years old. She believes that creativity can be explored at any age.
One lesson Sherry has learned in her daily search for creativity is that worldly accolades are not essential validations to be creative. She now finds inspiration in creative pursuits with friends and family members or in nature, where her creativity sparks in the present moment. She believes that there is no timeline for learning a new skill, rather it it is a healing journey we can all try, no matter what stage of life we are in. She encourages everyone to simply begin and start small.
“I kept trying to get good enough, to be an 'artist', but realized that making art was the creative outcome I needed”
– Sherry.