The Radical Optimism of Trying Something New

I always knew Three Birch Hill would be a creative laboratory; it was never meant to be one static thing, but ever-evolving. That doesn’t stop me from feeling all the feelings when I try something new. Apprehension, anxiety, excitement. Hope. Just recently, I started working with a new textile printer. At first, it felt like a huge risk—like I was stepping back into uncharted territory. But with each misstep, each small victory, I am learning. It’s the same way I feel about life. It’s messy, but there’s no growth without it.

There’s a lot of energy today spent on focusing on one thing: re-creation, staying in the past. But I’m not interested in that. I’m interested in progress—personally, creatively, and politically. Progress requires courage, risk, growth, and sometimes failure. Progress requires a tremendous amount of both hope and creativity.