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Fond du Lac Arts is a series exploring the stories, creative expression, and craftsmanship of Fond du Lac artists from a range of disciplines.
This project is produced by AMPERS, Diverse Radio for Minnesota’s Communities in partnership with WGZS, the Radio Voice of the Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, with support from the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund.
INTRO: You are listening to Fond du Lac Arts: Community through the Creative Arts.
KAREN SAVAGE-BLUE: I can get very bored easily. And so it's like my mind has to grab on to something to keep it occupied. But then again, I can just sit there on one area, one spot, and just paint for hours, just be hyper focused.
[sound element: painting sounds]
NARRATOR: Karen Savage-Blue found out early art was the path she was going to take in life. She taught it. She made it. But about ten years ago, she felt like her discipline needed a boost. She wanted to get away from the idea that art was something you made when you felt like it. So she came up with a project.
KAREN: I did one painting a day for 365 days. Crazy, huh? It was crazy.
NARRATOR: For entire year, she sat herself down and painted, whether she felt like it or not.
KAREN: If I had to go somewhere, and sometimes I did have to go somewhere, I would take my supplies with me and I would paint.
NARRATOR: And life being what it is, it would throw obstacles at her.
KAREN: And it's like, for example, someone ends up in the hospital. Or, let's just say, you have six grandkids you have to take care of all of a sudden. You know anything's going to happen.
NARRATOR: But she still put paint to canvas, even if it was just a little or it was hurried or the painting didn’t end up the way she wanted it to. What did you learn after 365 days?
KAREN: I learned a lot about myself. I got way better. I learned that it doesn't matter what is happening on the exterior of your life. You can still sit there and focus and have access to everything you need to make a really good painting.
OUTRO: Fond du Lac Arts is produced by AMPERS and WGZS, the radio voice of the Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, with support from the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund.