DA meet in Seattle

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llesliedesign's avatar
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After traveling from Portland, OR that day, I didn't know what to expect going to my first DA meet, but I knew I was excited to meet fellow artists and art advocates! I also love visiting Seattle when I get the chance! I think the sun was also excited about the meet, considering it came out too right after a snowstorm the day before in Seattle. As more and more people poured in to the Pratt Fine Arts Center (which I will be donating to and encourage others to do the same, as it is a non profit organization!) I realized at age 25 I was definitely one of the older deviants there, even though I did see a pretty wide range of ages. Most of the deviants there were teenagers, and I felt like I was at a high school reunion at MSA (this is a good thing! ha!) Sure, I was one of the few 25 year olds there, but I didn't mind it at all; in fact, I felt that in a way I had a little bit to offer to others just from my experiences from college and in the real world as a freelancer, which made the day very fulfilling for me. It was nice to see everyone getting along and sharing their work with each other without the pressure of competition or comparison. My favorite part was just getting to see other people's sketchbooks, and getting to know them through the drawings on the pages. I was surprised that so many people were willing to let me see their sketchbooks, because for many artists a sketchbook is an extension of themselves--a physical manifestation of expression and a unique form of communication--which can make some artists shy or reluctant about sharing them. But I think people there knew that at the event, they would be surrounded by like minded people and other deviants, helping to relieve their inhibitions. Like I said, artists communicate through a visual language that surpasses verbal barriers, so I felt like everyone was communicating the same way by drawing in their sketchbooks, and no one was timid because everyone understood each other on that level. It's kind of like when everyone talks to each other in the same language even though they have their own unique stories to express. That's what made the event so exciting to me!

Overall, it was encouraging to see so many people at the meet expressing their interest in the arts, especially young people. I was also impressed with the level of acceptance everyone showed towards each other. I think everyone fed off of the positive energy there and after working every day at my 9-5 job I left the meeting feeling refreshed, much like drinking a cold glass of water after being in the desert for a long time.  It felt good! I hope others were able to feel the same way! If anyone walked away with a negative experience or disappointment, then they probably weren't there for the right reasons or with the right attitude in the first place.

Making connections is really the most important part of being an artist, and I hope DA can make more of these kinds of meetings happen more often (and maybe in Portland OR one day lol). I love the fact that the meeting breathed some real life into the virtual relationships between deviants and brought the site into "reality" lol. It was great to make some DA friends, some of the DA admins and the Pratt representatives.
© 2013 - 2024 llesliedesign
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aiko137's avatar
Whoa, you drove a long way to get to deviantMEET. It was great meeting you as well!