Vermont in the 1960s and 1970s . It turned me in a new direction that leaned more towards storytelling , as well as the literary and theatrical worlds within Vermont . For me , it was my moment where I realized , “ This is where I belong .” I understood that I didn ’ t need to be a traditional craftsperson dedicated to a single trade . I could be an artist and find those performative and existential elements within myself . I was also invited into a beautiful world there with Peter Gould , Jim Sardonis , Robert De Cormier , Chuck Meese , the Bread & Puppet Theatre , and Village Harmony . There were so many amazing people that I connected with that influenced my trajectory through high school and college . They connected me to people who had similar passion and excitement about things that weren ’ t necessarily associated with the traditional
paths that a creative person might take in Vermont .
Q : That sounds like a wonderful creative community . You ’ re a passionate and outspoken advocate for artistic programming and education in Vermont . Are you currently working on any initiatives with the Vermont State Government , or any other Vermont-based public or private organizations , which will help developing artists find their creative path in the same way you did ?
A : Absolutely ! It ’ s the next step in my process of understanding what I can do that goes beyond my own journey , takes it back to the world I grew up in , and nurtures creative people from all walks of life that are seeking artistic outlets . Bernie Sanders and I hosted several events in August . We held town hall events where we traveled
around the state and invited members of the community of all ages to share their stories , their creations , their music , their poetry , and their art . The initiative that I ’ m working on with Bernie is something that is very close to my heart , but I think it ’ s just the beginning of a long campaign of trying to give back and provide Vermonters with a better sense of what is possible in this state . So many of the creative types that I know in Vermont hide in the woods . It ’ s not that they don ’ t want to share what they have created with the world — there just aren ’ t enough outlets for it , because there is less cultural access here than a more metropolitan area would have . That means that we need to pull people out of the woodwork and invite them into the conversation in order to propel it forward .
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