Last Friday, thirty members of the community, seeking conversation and connection, braved the cold morning to visit the ViBe‘s 2nd Creative Mornings VB event at The Garage on Mediterranean Ave. CM’s global theme for December was PAIN, and Erika Hitchcock spoke of Overcoming Pain with Artistic Inspiration, relaying her story of how she worked through grief to a place of healing to the attendees. Erika had lost her beloved brother to mental illness five years ago to the day, and experienced a severe accident that left her stunned and in place of grief, doubt, and fear. She had to retire from teaching in Virginia Beach City Public schools for over 18 years and she turned to art-making as a way to cope and heal. After a year filled with so much loss, she began to create and found peace which eventually turned into beautiful inspiration, celebrating love stories across the country.
In 2019, after her loss, her mother, Patricia, sensing the need to bring Erika back to a place where she’d experienced simple, unrefined joy, bought her a slab roller which reignited Erika’s passion for creating ceramics. Erika began sculpting and experimenting, creating ceramic wedding dress replicas, and found that this work gave her a release from dealing with the loss of her brother. By memorializing one of the most meaningful days of a married person’s life, along with the promise of never being alone, Erika began to offer commissions to customers who saw these replicas as symbols of their love story and celebration. She started StoneWear Ceramics, and today creates beautiful wedding dress replicas in stoneware clay for clients around the world. She’s been recognized by Virginia Bride and Coastal Virginia, and The Virginian-Pilot.
Each event’s Q&A is a great opportunity to further explore the speaker’s story, the month’s theme, and learn about local resources. Last Friday, through Erika’s art collaborations with our local chapter of NAMI, the National Alliance on Mental Illness, we learned more about the programs, resources, and support groups it offers, and how to get involved. NAMI is a wonderful local resource for those individuals and families in need.
Join us every 3rd Friday in 2024 as we explore, along with 236 other cities in 69 countries around the world, 12 new themes in a face-to-face community format. Past themes have included Rhythm, Endurance, Simplicity, Pride, and Treasure. CM also has virtual field trips and a database of previous talks to enjoy and explore at home.
- Written by co-founder Robert Fiveash, Brand Fuel
#loveistheanswer #feelyourpain #loveagain #findyourjoy
