MSA2A Podcast: Catie Daniel

​This week we are joined by a ceramic and watercolor artist who spends her time between Montgomery and Ocean Springs. Catie Daniel grew up on the coast and discovered early that clay was her thing. Through the tutelage of a teaching artist, Catie was able to stoke her creative flames and provide new opportunities to new generations of young artists.
Listen in as we talk about the importance of teaching artists, getting past your fears, and how life-changing it can be to start recognizing the beauty in the mundane.

Find Catie:
https://www.instagram.com/theartistcatie/
https://www.catiedaniel.com/
https://www.facebook.com/catiedanielstudios/

Find us:
www.TheLittleYellowBuilding.com
www.tlybARTMAG.com 
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​Derek Smith  0:00  
Hi everyone and welcome our welcome back to the Mississippi artists to artists podcast, where we get to have casual conversations with artists living or working in our state today. Today we have Katie Daniel with us, Katie, welcome to the podcast.

Catie Daniel  0:26  
Hi, thanks so much for having me.

Derek Smith  0:28  
So to get started, why don't you tell us about how you grew up and your background in art?

Catie Daniel  0:34  
Sure. So I grew up on the Mississippi Gulf Coast, specifically in Ocean Springs. I've pretty much lived my whole life in Mississippi, between either Jackson area or the coast, but primarily on the coast. And I was always a creative kid always drawing. My mom used to hang up all of my drawings in our laundry room, like our like a gallery of things and

and I was also homeschooled. So my parents were pretty supportive of me, and my art endeavors. And so I think my mom or one of our groups found this lady that taught art classes in like the middle of nowhere, Vancleave, Mississippi, and it's so rural. And we went and all the girls did drawing. And all the boys did ceramics and clay. And it was fantastic. Like I loved it. It was kind of the first time I'd ever really had formal lessons, and a formal class and I learned a ton. And after a couple of weeks of that my younger brother came home with this, like clay car sculpture. And I remember thinking, Oh, my gosh, this is so cool. Like, he just made this thing. And it's sturdy. Like it's not like playdough, where it will crumble apart after time, like it was like this solid thing. And so I first thought like, this is way cool. And then the second thought was, I have to do this. It's not just for boys, like, I have to try this. And so the next week, I switched over to clay and like, never looked back. And I still paint and draw. That's still a big part of my art practice. But clay kind of took over for a while. And it was obviously there's a lot of learning curve. I started when I was 13. And I stuck with it, though, like, really, really obsessed with it. And about a year. Well, so when I turned 15, my teacher opened a Studio Gallery in Ocean Springs where I lived. And so she hired me, as it was my first job ever best job still, to teach an after school kids program. And so she, she pretty much just let me structure it however I wanted at 15. I was like lesson planning and like putting together projects for kids. I was teaching kids to throw on the wheel, like some as young as five, like I was like, it doesn't matter, like kids need to learn this. And it was literally the best job I I didn't make a ton, obviously. But I had free access to clay and the kiln. And that part that time period I felt was really pivotal because even my parents weren't particularly artsy or creative, even though they were always very supportive. So it was kind of the first time I remember being surrounded by other creative people. And her gallery and studio brought so many different types of people in and out. Like I remember meeting a guy from Ghana, Africa, who threw these huge pots, and I never experienced anything like that before. And so it was really, really cool to just kind of be in a space that felt so much a part of the community. And then the arts like getting to experience so many different types of art and people coming. And so it was really, really pivotal. I think that was the point where I was like, wow, these are adults like doing art. And I can do that too. As a grown up like I can, this can be my job, like I want this job. Like I want to be an artist and I think I always knew I wanted to do art. But it wasn't until those time that kind of formative years where I was like, Oh, wow, like this could be a job. This could be my career. This is something I want to do all the time. And it was kind of the first moment I remember thinking, okay, like that's doable. And then of course, about a year later, Hurricane Katrina hit and the studio was definitely not sustainable during that time. So she ended up closing shortly after that, but I feel like the seeds had already been planted like I was already really, really on the His path to becoming an artist. And so after I graduated high school, I stuck pretty close to home. I just went to a local community college on the coast, literally took every art class I could possibly think of I was so torn between painting and ceramics. I never felt like I could really choose between the two. And then, after Community College, I always had plans to like go off to art school and do all these things. But I didn't really I don't know, I didn't really know how to get there. It felt really big, far away, I guess. But my last year of school, I ended up meeting my husband, and we got married pretty young, a month shy of my 21st birthday. So we just kind of started putting roots down on the coast and it just felt like home. And so I remember a couple years after we got married, just feeling a little aimless, that community that I felt in college and in high school, like, it wasn't there anymore. It was kind of like me in the studio. And, you know, I'm just in there kind of fiddling around, and I felt really isolated from the art world, if you will. And just that sense of community was not there. And I didn't realize I was missing it for a while. And then forget how it got started. But there was this public art installation, this huge project in downtown Biloxi. This guy had bought one of the old buildings, and he was going to renovate it into a music venue. And I forget how it all came about. But somehow he was like, let's get all these artists to paint the boarded up windows so that at least the exterior of the building won't look as dilapidated as the inside. And so we I ended up getting these panels. There was a mixup with mine. So I ended up just getting one instead of all three. And I had to repaint everything within like two days. So I remember painting 20 hours in one day, it was like an eight foot by 12 foot panel. And I had to like get it done that weekend. And so I had never had my arm like actually ache from holding a

paintbrush so high. Like it was it was

amazing though, like I remember thinking, I forgot how much I love this. And there was, you know, we were all installing our boards. And there was this like long alley down by the building. And all these artists were there and there was music, and everyone was just kind of sharing their paint and was like helping each other out. And I just remember thinking like, this is what I missing. Like I really missed that feeling of just having built in community. It was all these artists that were around my age and like we all just kind of came out of the woodwork to work on this random project. And I met so many amazing people. And but it kind of just reminded me like, okay, maybe there's a little bit more that I'm missing that I can be more intentional about. And so I ended up reconnecting with a friend, Carmen Lugo and she and I had taken painting classes, and she, her studio is next to mine and in our class, and so we connected a bit. And we ultimately decided to rent a studio space together, both of our husbands were kind of like, alright, they'll take your stuff and put it somewhere and you can be as messy and just get it all out there. So we found this great spot in downtown Biloxi. And that was kind of before a lot of the influx of businesses were there. I mean, the the baseball stadium hadn't even been finished. I think they were just kind of starting at that point. And there was a few businesses down there, but it really wasn't as booming as it is now. And so we were kind of ahead of our time with that. But we started strange birds studio, and it kind of had a lot of the same feelings as the studio that I grew up working at where we weren't necessarily gallery, but it was where we worked. And we had kind of an open door thing where people just come in and they could see artists working, they could buy the work, as soon as it was done off the you know, off the easel. And we really connected with people there. And I mean, we were painting outside on the sidewalk. And we hosted you know, First Fridays and lots of art events and different things like that. And we really tried to, to bring the community in, but also like be around other artists and create some hype around the black scene. And there was a couple other public art installations that we did during that time, specifically to kind of revitalize that area in downtown Biloxi. And so, those times were probably some of my favorite because I was like oh like living, breathing, sleeping, eating, painting, art, all of it. And it was, it felt like we were really making things happen. And it was a lot of fun too. So and then, you know, life happens, and I ended up having are getting pregnant with my oldest. And just feeling like, this is a lot, you know, of course major life change. And so I actually ended up having to step away from the studio just because the time that I was there just wasn't sustainable. And having a newborn, like, I had no idea what I was in for, I was just thinking, Oh, he could just come with me and sleep in the studio, and I'd get all this time to paint. And I just had like, no idea. But it ended up actually, it's funny.

It was a huge adjustment, going from zero kids to having kids. And I remember it, I didn't paint for a while I didn't do anything creative for a while just because it felt so consuming. And then you know, slowly, you kind of just get into a rhythm. And it actually I feel like made me a better artist, because I was much more disciplined with my time, you know, if you have less time to do the things you want, the time that you get is going to be that much more intentional and focused. And I feel like all of my kids, I have three now have each each one is subsequently taught me that if I really want to pursue this, then I'm just gonna make it work around my family. And I've always tried to kind of keep, you know, this idea that, you know, people are more important than work, even though I do want to stay stay involved in my work. And that's important as well, but knowing that they are always going to be little, and I want to have this time with them and their childhood. And I want to fill their childhood with art, without a doubt. But I don't want them to feel like I'm constantly choosing my work over them. And it's like this hard balance because I feel, you know, I want them to see me working, I want them to see me pursuing things that I love. And I want to teach them like, hey, despite your time and despite whatever, you can still do what you want to do and pursue the goals and dreams that you have. And so that, that felt like that took a long time to figure out. And my oldest is almost eight now. So I don't have it all figured out. But I feel like I've gotten to a good groove and they just know that art is part of our lives. And after the studio. And after kind of starting family stuff. I just kind of worked from home a good bit and just kind of things around and, and we just kind of made it work. It wasn't until the pandemic stuff that I started a kind of a new series of having a little bit more direction, a little bit more focused on my work. That's kind of when I started the beautiful mundane series. And a lot of that is based off my kids and their influence in my work and my wife. And then we actually my husband had a job here in montgomery. So that's actually where, where we are where we are now. And it's interesting, because this is the first time I've ever lived outside of Mississippi. And I didn't think that it would be that hard. Like, I've loved the coast and I but I never felt like I was only going to live in one place for the rest of my life. So it felt good to like, Alright, let's try some new places and and be out of Mississippi. But then once we left, I was so homesick. And it was a big adjustment that feel like, oh, wow, like this sense of place, felt a little bit adrift, like the anchor was cut, like I didn't have that thing tying me there like a home. Even though every time I go back, it still feels like home and people there and it's always gonna be home. It just feels like different now. And that's why I think it's really cool. Just staying in touch with people who are in Mississippi and doing things for Mississippi because I don't know, I always have kind of soft spot for our state and all of its craziness. So all the things that it is and so yeah, I feel like that's kind of in a nutshell. I mean, there's probably a lot more I could say but

Derek Smith  14:35  
where you got to grow up in a place that is one of the more diverse places in Mississippi. You know, the Coast has constant tourism. It has you know influxes of different types of people from all over the state that moved to live there. And especially after Katrina, when it all got to be rebuilt, you know and restructure then you had a whole other group of people coming back in to repopulate that area. It entered to build it back up. So you've got a lifetime of memories and stability. They are in and leaving. That is, yeah, you're you're leaving a nest for the unknown. Yeah, it's exciting and terrifying all at the same time. Yeah.

Catie Daniel  15:14  
And I kept thinking, Man, why am I like, I've never been one that's going to just live in one place for the rest of my life. Why am I so sad? Like, let's go explore, let's be excited about what the rest of the world has to offer. And it's like, well, no, this this place is where I spent a lot of my formative years. I mean, I was a teenager here, I was a kid here, a teenager here. I got married here. I had kids there. Like, there was a lot of big life events that happened on the coast. And so I think for that reason, it's always going to feel like home, it's always going to feel like I'm tied to the state, you know, for forever. But yeah, and Ocean Springs is really cool, because I didn't realize how spoiled I was as far as the art scene there. Because for such a tiny town, like they do a ton for the arts and the community there is, is really, really cool. It's really good.

Derek Smith  16:13  
One of the exciting things to me about your story is the whole beginning and how much of a part that the teaching artists in your life, you know, played. And it's, I think it's important for a lot of us to hear. Because I know that many artists when they're going through, you know, high school or their younger years, and they're starting their college education, they don't consider teaching right away, and you don't have to. But another option is being a teaching artists which is outside of the educational spectrum, basically, you are a supplemental art education to your community. And you know, things lives like Katie, you know, you you were touched by that my life was touched by the same thing. You know, one of the one of the artists here was a teaching artists while I was in high school, and it's how I got to experience art. So I just, I love that part of your journey. And I love how when you ended up opening your own studio, you brought those elements into your own studio, to repopulate that, that's beautiful.

Catie Daniel  17:19  
And who knows, I mean, I feel like in the future, it would be really cool to, to go even bigger than this tiny studio we had in Biloxi, and maybe do ceramics maybe maybe be someone's first exploration into that medium and facilitating that would be really, really cool. And it's funny, because I never set out to like, teach myself like to teach other people to be a teacher, like an art teacher, like I didn't want to go to school necessarily to tailor my education around being an art teacher. But I have really enjoyed teaching outside of like a public school setting our it's always been a part of community spaces. There's like cultural art center on the coast. And there's a couple other places in Biloxi and things like that, that I've taught, and it's been really fun to just not have that structure of, you know, like the school board and all the things that you're you I'm sure you know. And I've actually really enjoyed teaching in that capacity to, especially kids, I feel like most people have never done ceramics, especially on the wheel. And so when you can, can show a child that. And that's their first experience getting really like messy and like hands covered. And it's it's fast. And there's like lots of stuff to think on. And getting to see a kid experience that or anybody experiencing that for the first time is really special. And it also kind of helps other people understand how hard it is. And like I've been doing it for 20 years now. And so it's not something that you can just pick up and like, Oh, I could make that like it's tough. And so I enjoy, like, letting other people kind of in on the process so that there's this sense of Oh, like, there's some craftsmanship that has to take place. And there's like years worth of skills that have to be built up in order for this to work. And so that's, that's really fun. Like just exposing people to a medium that I've been obsessed with since I was a kid is really, really cool.

Derek Smith  19:34  
And there's something to be said about that small setting where you get to be intimate with the student, and you get to know them and their hang ups. And what a lot of people don't realize is that when you go in art is a discipline and art like anything else, you have to go in and learn the techniques and put in the work and that way you can develop a sense of understanding of what makes something that come together and what how it can be accomplished. But there are so many tiny little mental blocks in the way that have nothing to do with art. You know, it's just like everything in your everything in your life is a string, and it all gets knotted together. And so when you have a small set of students are, at least for me, I'm able to go in. And while we're doing lessons, we get to go and deconstruct why we're having a hard time, you know, with this particular thing, or with this, I can't draw straight lines, well, let's not say I can't, and then we go in and really break down the fact of, I'm just not practiced well enough. And, you know, you're pulling a little string and untying a little bit of the knot each time. But I don't feel like you can always do that in the massive, you know, public school arena. Oh, sorry.

Catie Daniel  20:51  
I was just say to. Also, you're not, you don't have to, like go by this timeline of I have to teach this, I have to teach that. Like, one of my favorite things is, hey, what do you want to learn to do, because that's going to make you excited about this project. And here, let me teach you the tools on how to do that. So hey, if you want to learn to paint faces are portraits, and you want to do your self portrait, or you want to paint people, like, here's the tools to do that. Or, Oh, you want to make a cup to drink out of like, okay, let's do this, or sculpture, whatever. Like, if, if it's something you want to do, you're gonna put the time and effort into it. And instead of saying, Oh, no, you have to learn the history here. And then you have to learn like what this this principle of design and and those things are good, and they're helpful. But I've found like, engaging with people, specifically asking like, hey, what do you what do you want to make? What do you want to get out of this? And okay, I can teach you the tools to accomplish that. And we don't have to necessarily stick to this really rigid curriculum, even though those things are very helpful. And going back and learning those things will also enhance what you're doing. But I think that that can help alleviate some of the defeat that people feel like, Oh, I'm just not talented, or I can't do what I want to do. Because I don't have the skills. And it just kind of it's, it's fun to see someone light up about like, oh, like I accomplished something I wanted to do in art. And, you know, just have to like you're saying I have to practice it a lot. It's a lot of work. But at least I can be excited about the project and the process.

Derek Smith  22:32  
So let's switch focus, and let's jump into your art. I know, you do. You do multiple things. But the majority, you do a lot of watercolor, and you do a lot of ceramic work. But both take a huge influence from nature, you have these beautiful rich in your in your ceramic work, you have these beautiful rich earth tones, and you have pressed leaves and flowers into the clay and all of these different designs that have been built out of nature. And then when you turn the table and look at your watercolors, again, it's these beautiful vibrant paintings of watercolors. But a lot of times it's singular subject matter, like a study taken away from the background. So the subject is just bright and bold against a white surface. And then even when you go in to do like you have your landscape paintings, they tend to have a singular focus like a tree or a little area. Tell us about your art and what inspires you.

Catie Daniel  23:31  
Okay, cool. Yeah, um, so lately, and that's probably been maybe the last two, three years. Like I said, I started this series called The beautiful mundane. And it really started with my kids, honestly, they would. They bring me like weeds and I and they, you know, I put these little dandelions in a vase, and of course, they've barely last like a day before, they're all wilted. And I remember like, thinking I want to preserve these like to last a little longer than just a day. So I do paintings of them. And then once we get locked down, I'm a stay at home parents. So being home for eight weeks with three children, not leaving the house to go hang out with friends and go to the park and, you know, go to the beach. That was really tough, especially since I'm not a homebody, like I gotta be around people. I really get energy from other people. And I'm an extrovert. So it was tough to be home with three kids, by myself most of the time. So I started, like, instead of getting really frustrated with the whole situation, of course, everyone was, you know, going through it. But I started thinking, okay, how can I find gratitude in where I'm at because we are home, we're healthy. We're happy, we're fine. My husband still had a job. Like, we were going to be okay. And for me to get hung up that I'm stuck at home, you know, it was hard. And I really turned to art to, to figure out how can I be grateful? How can I find things in my life to remind me to be grateful. And so, I would do little paintings of like something I would do every day like peel oranges. So I would peel oranges for our lunch, three of them every day. And I would just be like, This is so like, what am I doing right now, like, all the time, I'm always making food, I'm always doing this. And so I did paintings of orange peels, and little oranges. And we took a lot of walks, just to get out of the house, and we would, you know, walk our neighborhood, and we'd find interesting leaves. And you know, I would do paintings of those. And then I remember on one walk, we I turned the corner and our neighbor had taken their whole entire front yard and planted zinnias and sunflowers. And I just remember being like stopped in my tracks. Like, why haven't I seen this before? And he told me like, he couldn't grow grass. So we just planted flowers hovered. And he probably thought it was strange, because I took so many pictures, and I did all these zinnias and all these sunflowers, and it was just, I started finding things that were really mundane in my life. And I just started showcasing them. And so they are kind of like studies, it's kind of this like, very clinical like view. So, you know, the white background of the paper. And I mean, I did like banana peel, and avocados and some of my kids toys ended up, you know, there and weeds and all kinds of things that I like, I started looking at my life, my everyday life as source material for my work. And it ended up getting me not focused on I'm stuck at home, it's like, Ooh, I'm stuck at home, like what what can I see? What can I find? That will make a really interesting painting. And so I really started with the paintings. And I did like a 30 day thing where I you know, every month every day, in the month, like February, March, I did a painting and it, it was like, okay, you know, you're gonna be homeless, make the best of it. And let's just find inspiration in your own life. And so then it kind of bled over into ceramics because I was like, Okay, I want to feel like one artist made both of these things in two different mediums. And how can I connect those things. And so then I started pressing the leaves into the clay and finding the different textures. So like, I would get bark, and like just roll it into wet clay. And then I took one of my son's monster trucks, like these little toy monster trucks. And I just took the tire treads and just roll them into this like surface of clay on onto different pots and like nothing is safe in my house anywhere. Like in fact, I actually had to wash that truck back and give it back to my son because he was like, my like.

And I'll take like playdough rollers and just like what and it's become this like mark making but for clay. And I wouldn't necessarily say I'm a mark maker in my painting. I'm very tight and controlled with my watercolors. And so clay just kind of evolved into this. Like, okay, let's see what this texture will do onto the surface of the clay. And so we'll take walks, and I'll like, have my pockets full of like acorns and like weird rocks and like, we went to the beach and I picked up seashells and like, Okay, let's see what this is going to do. And it's really changed my perspective of like, I think before I kids, I just kind of sat around and waited for the views and the inspiration to strike. And I really didn't do a lot of work and the things that I was painting and doing. It was more of like, oh, let's find a really interesting picture and like do, let's do a painting of it or like sourcing my inspiration out there in the world. And it's been a really interesting shift to move to, let's find my inspiration in my own life because I'm the only one that can find that there. And I'm the only one in this perspective at this time. Who can make these this work in this way, and it really has helped have like a framework for me to just give me some direction so I don't feel as aimless and, and like I said it it definitely helps with the gratitude and And, you know, because being a stay at home parent is very monotonous and very ordinary, and you feel like you do the same tasks over and over and over again. And, and it was like, you know, I could be really frustrated with this, or I could use this as part of my life in my work, and also incorporate my children in a way, kind of indirectly, into the work as well. And I don't know how long I'll be painting these things, you know, because I think about like, who wants to buy an avocado and put it on their wall, but I really enjoy them. And I'm gonna probably the room down this rabbit hole for a while, and just kind of see where it takes me because I mean, life evolves in my life will evolve. So the source material will change over time. And so I feel like, it potentially could be a lifelong endeavor of just figuring out what how to find beauty in the ordinary.

Derek Smith  31:02  
There's, there's so much in my head that that I want to say, but I think that one of the most important things that we do in our lives are tell the stories behind our work. And something like getting to know that that orange peel was not a clinical study, you know, it may look like a clinical study, it may look like you sat down in order to learn how to paint the ins and outs of an orange. But to go in and to find out that no, actually, you know, you have this thing where you get up every day and you prepare food for your family. And it's the same over and over and over and you've found inspiration, and you've taken that moment out of your life and put it onto paper. That's something that people don't get to know, right off the bat when they look at it. But that's the important that's the meat. That's the good stuff. That's what drove you to create this beautiful little painting. I, I love that and the more that we can put out of that in the world is just the best to me.

Catie Daniel  32:12  
Yeah, it's funny, because it's like, it's not just an orange. But it is. And so many other day, like a large part of what I feel like I do as a mom is very unnoticed and unseen, especially when you know, preparing meals, and you got to doing a lot of that monotonous stuff. And I think in some sort of subconscious way, this is kind of my way of showing of making people see it. So you can see, okay, this is an orange. But I peeled three of these every day for six weeks, eight weeks. And it's like a subtle way for me to say here's what I did. This is the labor I did this is the work that I was doing. And it feels like a lot to hang on an orange, you know, but and it's fine if people you know, connect that I would just face value like this is really cool on training. But there is a lot more. And I I feel like with every Monday and painting I do it's kind of revealing a little bit more of the unseen stuff that I do in my wife to you. So

Derek Smith  33:21  
I love that. I love it. Well, Katie, I want to thank you so much for coming on and for sharing all of this and sharing about your life and about your art practice. Everyone, make sure you go and check out Katie's work. It's Katie Daniel Catie da N ie l.com. Or you can find her on Instagram at the artist Katy. But make sure you go and check out the work that she's doing. And now you have a whole new perspective to her art. You You know that when you see that singular subject matter that it is deeply tied into her life and her every day being in her family's everyday being and that's fascinating to me. Katie, one last question and I'll let you go. For anyone that is coming up behind you are for you as a younger artist, what would be some advice that you give?

Catie Daniel  34:18  
Um, I think that if you're if you're wanting to pursue art as a as your lifelong, either career or practice, I think just knowing like, life doesn't have to get in the way, quote, unquote, get in the way of that. I think the best part about artists is that we make it work. Like I remember doing clay in a tiny, tiny little bedroom. And I think what's so amazing is artists can be very resilient and you give us a tiny corner and we'll turn it into like our greatest work of art. And so I think The best thing is to kind of keep in mind that like work should your your life should fuel the work and maybe not necessarily look at obstacles as things that can keep you from, from painting or from getting being creative, but allow those things to fuel it. And that's something I took me a very long,

long time to figure

out, and I'm still figuring it out, you know, there's a lot of things that I want to do with my life in my life, a big, big things. But where I'm at in this season, a lot of my time has been at home. And, and that's okay, that doesn't mean it's going to be like that forever. And so I think just understanding your season of life and where you're at, and knowing that that's not permanent, but that as an artist, we are creative problem solvers, we can figure out how to accomplish what we want to do. And maybe it's a smaller scale, maybe it's, you know, not the grand thing that you want in this moment. But you can still be working every day towards something. And I think that's the best part about artists like, you could put us in the tiny closet, and we'd still create something from it. And it doesn't, you don't have to have this ideal space, you don't have to have, you know, the most expensive art supplies. But you can start with where you're at, and you can make it work. So that's probably something I would tell my younger self, it's okay, if you're starting small, it's okay. If you're not where you exactly where you want to be right where you want it, but just stick with it. I think it will never end well. I think I heard someone say once art has brought all the best things in their lives, or has brought them the best things that they look back. And they think about all the good things in their lives. And art had a lot to do with that. So I think I think the same.

Derek Smith  36:57  
Katie, thank you so much for joining us and giving us your time. I appreciate it. I appreciate you and what you're putting out in the world. And I cannot express to you how much it means to you to me that you've come on and shared your story about you and your art with us.

Catie Daniel  37:13  
Thank you for having me. And I really appreciate what you're doing for Mississippi. I think the state gets obviously a lot of negative thoughts about it. And to put us on the map for being creative and being artists. I think if we can change one person's mind about the stereotypes that Mississippi holds like we're totally doing our job, because there's there's so much here. And I think doing podcasts like this is really helpful for people to see that and not just chalk up the South

for all of its negative stereotypes. So

I appreciate the things you're doing too. It's really cool. Thank you for having me.

Derek Smith  37:58  
For everyone else, I want to thank you for listening and joining us for another episode and something different than I don't normally do. But I want to encourage you if you have had an art teacher in your life, and they're still around, reach out to them and tell them how much they meant to you. I had an honored experience where I got to come back to her Cavan and the person that touched my life through art when I was in high school was still living and I had the opportunity to tell her that and how much she meant to me. And if you have the opportunity this week, stop, find that teacher and tell them that they meant a lot in your life. That was their life's work and it was a beautiful moment that they got to give to you. Well, everyone, thank you so much for joining us. And until next week, we'll talk to you then. Bye. And a special thank you goes to our members the Friends of the little yellow building. Beth breelan, Mary Hardy, Gwen fury, Mary Adams, Jenny Howard, Jenny Moke, Evelyn PV, the Evans Family, Janet Smith, Buffy Jordan, Jennifer drink water, the Smith family Klopper Zak and Hannah Hestrin. Thank you for all the support

Transcribed by https://otter.ai