Dear A,
It's crazy how the world works. It creates these platforms that give regular people like myself (Regular meaning, I wasn't born with a red carpet in front of me or a silver spoon in my mouth. The world did not throw a party for me or my mother when I was born) expansive reach in getting our messages out and then tells the people who support us to only do so from a distance because face-to-face contact makes you more groupie and less human. (sarcasm font)
I'm here to tell you and everyone else, that artists desperately need those connections. We sit behind computers, blank pages and canvases, in the shadows of smokey studios or in the corner of quiet parks and we are alone for much of the time. We are alone so much that feeling lonely starts to feel the same. No one is a groupie because they approach me and comment on my work. Meeting you reminds me that I am not alone and I am not lonely. I am a woman who welcomes other people into my space, my heart and my arms if they have good intentions and a pure gratitude for the fact that I exist on Earth. I wish more people were like you; willing to extend a hand and remind us artists that our work isn't just a job, it's a conversation that we sometimes forget we're having. I speak to all of you and though I may not hear your thoughts or responses, the day you reveal yourself to me, is the day that the story completes itself. It's more powerful than a meet and greet. It has more depth than a handshake in a crowded bar. We remember you and not in the crevices of our millions of neurons. But we remember you in the front of our minds right before we begin a new project and dream a new dream. We go home and talk to our loved ones about you. We tell them how all we could keep saying is "Thank You" and how it still doesn't seem like enough.
You should never "feel" like a groupie. In fact, I'm your groupie. I adore y'all. I love y'all. I write for y'all. I'm indebted to y'all. If anybody wants to meet you, it's me. Artists are only as successful as you make us. And if you feel awkward about talking to me, you're not alone. I feel awkward too because I won't be able to thank you enough.
I'm human, I'm grateful and I'm always listening to you. I'm yours.
