Welcome everyone! I’m Sharri Harmel, Editor and Chief Creative of the Extraordinary Women Magazine, Community and Podcast.
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Episode 63: Michele LeMaitre– transcription
MICHELE LEMAITRE – As an award-winning artistic entrepreneur, Michele INVENTED a new process and style of 2D & 3D Sculptural Mixed Media, representing the surface of bodies of water, with bold COLORS THAT CHANGE with the movement of your body. The artwork is a metaphor for resilience, self-reflection of changing one’s own perspective to open up to new possibilities.
As a multidisciplinary artist, Michele combines several methods and materials to create Sculptural works which appear to have movement, light and changing colors reflecting off the surface of water.
The mesmerizing sculptural Modern Art intrigues the viewer to experience a sense of calm, while traveling back in time by the sparking memories of being in, under or by the water.
Michele is an advocate of the Bluemind movement, and ocean conservancy, which is reflected in these innovative works of Modern Art
Contact Info:
Email: Michele@thewaterartist.com, Tel: 508-221-6132
Social: www.instagram.com/the_water_artist
www.facebook.com/MicheleLeMaitreArt/
https://twitter.com/the_WaterArtist/
www.linkedin.com/in/michele-lemaitre-the-water-artist
The Interview-
Sharri: I am absolutely thrilled you’re here, Michele. So, we can charge right in. I am just so excited to have my friend Michelle on the podcast this week because we have lots of things to talk about now. You have a lot of roles are a lot of hats in your life, you’re a mother of two grown boys now. You’re a daughter of older parents, you manage properties. You’re an Airbnb, Super Airbnb manager. Yeah, I love that. But also, you’re an artist and you’re not just, you know, an artist who goes and paints a little bit, you are in the business of art. So, did I miss anything?
Michele (02: 06) Travel enthusiast? A Francophile. Yeah. And also, a contributing writer to a column in a wonderful magazine.
Sharri (02: 18) Oh gosh, you’re so kind. We’re going to get to that though. But start with the artist role because I just think that’s something so many women can relate to. Um, you know, because you’ve created a business out of the art. But were you always an artist?
Michele (02: 35) I was, I grew up in the country, uh, countryside of a very small town in Western Mass where there weren’t a lot of things going on. And because of that, I had to really be creative back then. You know, it was all about being outside. So, I go out and I’d make fairy forts and I do all these really cool art projects with my mom, and I do sew, and I go to craft shows and be inspired by other artists. And so, because of that, um, I always had art with it, and I didn’t really foster it until, well, no, and it’s not true. I always, I was always fostered by my parents to do what I love to do and towards a more creative side. So yeah, yeah. A gift. I dabbled in various different things all of my life and one of them was photography and the other one was painting, um, a little bit of sculpture as well, but I never really went full into that. So, the artist’s soul has always been with me.
Sharri (03: 43) Yeah. But you began in photography, correct? And that was your, what we call, you know, forgive me because I’m going to use all the wrong words. Was that your medium?
Michele (03: 59) Well, I’ve always hidden my art, oddly enough from a lot of different people because I didn’t have a lot of confidence in my work. So, because of that, I really held it very close and didn’t say anything but close to my late 40s, early 50s, I thought, do you know what, this is ridiculous. And with the prodding of several really close friends, they said, you’ve got to show your photography. You’ve got something that we really love. And so, I put my big girl panties on, I became really vulnerable and showing my work and it was really well received, which was wonderful. And that was kind of a really pivotal point for me in order to just get out there and share what I have in my mindset, really was all about not pleasing others, but doing it because it came from within. And it needed to come out to be shared with everyone. So now I say to all of my friends who are wonderful artists, but really hide them themselves in their work. You’ve got this amazing gift. You have to share it with people and if you don’t, you’re being selfish. You know, so, photography was the first really big push to get my work out there
Sharri (05: 40) And then you moved into painting.
Michele (05: 43) I moved into with this newly invented 2D and 3D sculptural mixed media work, which I’ve dabbled in all my life, but you know, all of these little exterior things kind of came together in one to create this new body of work um and representing the surface of bodies of water uh with colors that change and depending on the movement of your body when you view it. Oh, and it just kind of exploded. So, uh it’s really been, you know, a great, a great gift for me to be able to share it with other people.
Sharri (06 : 23) So, Michelle, what happens, are you lying in bed and you wake up one morning or you’re kind of in that halfway point between sleep and awake and you go, oh my God, I think I’m going to I think I know how to do this mixed media and it’s going to be on water. Um, I mean how and when does this come to you – the inspiration.
Michele (06: 48) The water has always been part of me ever since I was a kid. I really connected with the water being in the pool in the country, you know, how the summertime is being spent in the water on family vacations. And so, water has always been a place where I go for solace for soothing, for calming for answers to questions about life. And so, water has always been a theme in my work. So, the inspiration always comes from being in places around the water. Now I happen to live 30 miles out to sea on a Manhattan Island and we’re surrounded by water. So, when I when I started showing my work, a lot of it pertained to very textural pieces. But the other aspect of this was water. So, I did a slow shutter speed photography with water that looked very much like watercolors. And so, people weren’t sure if they were photographs or if they were abstracts or you know what they were. Inspiration comes to me at the weirdest of times, I’ve got one of these really visual and wild visual minds and wild imagination. I really should be like a movie script writer because I can, in my imagination can take me down to the totally tiniest of nuances of details and to tell a story. And for me, I think that wraps around also with the writing. But inspiration for me is everywhere. That’s part of being a creative, whether you’re sitting in a cave somewhere, you know, with no one around you or in the darkness, there’s still inspiration.
Sharri (08: 44) What do you do with it when you get the inspiration? Because there’s other women who are also sensing, you know, they feel that inspiration, they get that idea… then they just go home and go about life.
Michele (08: 58) I think it’s about, well I keep mental records of things that really spark something within me. Um, and
Sharri (09: 12) What do you mean? There are records?
Michele (09: 14) What is that? It’s kind of like a little file system. So, if I see something that inspires me, I just file it away in the memory banks and, but if something inspires me, but I’m not, it’s like, you know, delete, delete it. It’s my right. I’ve always done that way.
Sharri (09: 33) Not to say you won’t.
Michele (09: 35) It’s not my style. But I tend to, if something like a big epiphany follows you, I just listen to my mind and I have that aha moment. I typically write it down in, in my wonderful orange journal, which I absolutely love. And then I kind of foster that idea. Um, and a lot of them, they’re always coming to me because I’m one of these, I need to shut my brain off a little more. I wish there was a switch.
Sharri (10: 13) Uh, well, uh, being on all the time are having that incredible gift of ideas and flow of ideas. Um, like every gift has, has its downsides, so to speak. But you have the gift so celebrate.
Michele (10: 29) That I do have imagination is really important to me and the things that we decided to follow through on have to really resonate with me. So yeah, like what happened with this last project. It was just as if I had this massive download of information that came to me as far as this recent body of work and all those little files came together. You know, a little piece of, oh, I think that’s a really cool idea and that’s a really cool idea and why don’t I combine them? And so, I just went for it and one day it all came together. So here we are.
Sharri (11: 07) Yeah, I love that. You just went for it. But go back to when you got to that point where you said, why am I keeping all of this a secret? You know, why am I just, you know, showing it to myself and maybe my closest friends? Do you think that’s something that happened? Because uh, you know, you reached a certain age or is it something that I’m thinking of, other people also how to step into that. So that earlier, um, you know, you and I both, I think kind of stepped into our own at, at certain ages. Um, and now, in retrospect, we look back and say, gosh, why did I do that? Why that waits to belong. Uh, you know, to be me to show me to the world. Uh,
Michele (11: 59) Yeah, I think it’s truly about, yes, it’s about becoming older and being more settled in who you are. Um, you know, that I’ve always had confidence, but when it came to my art, I really felt that I wasn’t worthy enough of being able to show my work to others. I didn’t feel that the work was strong enough or I was too concerned about how the, the people would, would view me and judge me. And so, I think, you know that confidence comes at all times of life, but, but there’s another aspect that comes with age and getting older, you realize that none of that really matters. We’re all going to die, right, we’re all here to do our own work and our own thing. So, I think it hit me at a point where I really needed to kind of own who I was and stake claim like this is part of me and it’s a big, big part of me and I don’t care if other people don’t like it. I am doing it for me. I need to do it. It’s important that I allow myself this, this gift is what I have and for me that was the really big shift.
Sharri (13: 25) Yeah. Yeah. It’s really interesting how the evolution of people and maybe, you know, I was a bit of a late bloomer, but we do get to that point where we don’t need the accolades and regardless of your age, think about this, we don’t need the accolades of many. We, we only need the support, and I don’t know, encouragement of the people that really matter. We look for our peeps. I always say, um, we, we don’t, and nobody has a tribe of millions that’s not a tribe, that’s just, you know, a large number of people, huge number of people. So, we don’t, there’s really when we think about this really no need to try to find that group where we please everyone because it’s impossible.
Michele (14: 15) Yes.
Sharri (14: 15) And we wouldn’t even like all those people or have anything in common with all those people. So, stepping into it, I’m just finding my people. Um, it sounds like something that shifted for you at a certain point with your art is somebody’s going to love this. I mean, you and also you had all kinds of friends that said, bring it out, bring your photography out. It’s fabulous.
Michele (14: 40) Well, I didn’t share it with a lot of people. So, it was though it was a very tiny amount of people that you said, you’ve got to get like two or three of my girlfriends and I agree it’s important to have a support system that even if it’s one person you are cheering me on saying you’ve got this, you know, just go for it. But also, I think it’s important to remember that none of the none of it matters as far as the external, it’s all about the internal. So, um, just do it for you. And sometimes I find it hard for people it’s really hard to they have this big dream, for example. And it’s really hard to get to know how you get to this big dream, but you’ve got to break it down into tiny little steps and every day you work, and you work, and you work until finally, you can look back and go, wow, this is what I’ve accomplished. So, I’m all about dreams and living your truth and going for what really matters. And um for me, it’s the simple, it’s simple things in life, you know, I don’t I don’t um want a giant house and you know, all this stuff. No, it’s all about things getting smaller and smaller as to what I want, and really, it’s all about finding joy serving others and being the best human. You can be so beautiful. I’m trying to do that, and I love it.
Sharri (16: 17) But, you know, the other piece and you haven’t really talked about that is you make money from your art, your art isn’t just, you know, in galleries, hanging or exhibitions or whatever it might be. You make money off your art. So somewhere along the way, did you think right from the beginning, okay, here’s the creative side of me, you know, what is that? The left brain? Right brain, I don’t know, right brain. Maybe left-brain side of you said, okay, you know, and this is how you’re going to market it, or did one come, you know, did the marketing and the business side of art come after.
Michele (16: 59) The creation that came after the creation. Well, I’ve always been, I’ve been around businesses all my life because of my family, and we’ve always had a very open table discussion about, you know, everything pertaining to business. So, I’ve always had that working knowledge and background. I think creativity comes with this need to get your stuff out there. So, in order to get your stuff out there, you know, it’s a loop where you, even if you show your work, others start coming to you and then you realize, well, hang on, I think that’s something here, you know? So, I knew I had something on the cusp of what I wanted to, I wanted to do something that I knew was bubbling up inside of me, I just didn’t know what it was. And so, when I finally found it, I had this like a moment and, and I had to do something with it. So, I was creating these pieces and I thought, okay, well let’s do a launch. And at the same time, I was taking a brand strategy course along with three other courses. I really, really focused on the business side because I thought this is it, you know, I have to get my stuff together and I really have to present this in a way that I can get it out there, but I can also get some money out of it, right, and money is a great thing to have, I think it allows you to do a lot of stuff. It’s not, it’s important, but it’s not the most important. So, getting back to the business. I was, yes, I was focused on wanting to start a business and artistic business other than my photography, but I needed to create the art. So, they go together. It was the circle.
Sharri (19: 00) Okay, okay. Will you continue in that field do you think will you continue to, you know, because I know this is the water series and anyone who’s listening needs to go to your website, go to Michelle’s website http://www.thewaterartist.com, check it out because it’s absolutely fantastic. Um, while that continues are you waiting for the next inspiration? What are you looking at? I am now an artist in business, a business artist. I don’t know what the word is…
Michele (19: 36) I am. I have been for a year now just with this particular body of work and I was before in my photography. So, I think there’s always growth and transition. But I absolutely love this body of work that I’m doing because it’s resonating with so many people, especially in a time where we all have, have the last couple of years have been really stressful. Looking at art is another way of being calmed and soothed and water as a lot of us know, has this amazing healing properties. So, uh, even when you take a shower, you know, water suits, when you go sit by a stream, water calms you. Your mind opens your heart rate goes down. You know, there are scientific studies that say that listing all the benefits of water. So, for me it’s not only about the healing properties of water, but also putting that in and in a way in an artistic form that others can hang a huge chunk of water that it looks like you’ve scooped it out of the ocean mounted on the wall and still have that feeling of being calmed by the water. So, I’m going to continue this because it’s like this obsession I have, and I’ve always had with water. But now I found the recipe and I’ve made this incredible cake, so to speak with my work. And so, I’m serving it out to people and people are eating it up.
Sharri (21: 09) Well, it’s really, it’s kind of a mental health tool if you want that in many ways that people should consider. But you mentioned Covid and how do you think you’re different because of Covid? Is anything about you different? Is anything that you, the way you think or the way you operate, different from the last 18 months to two years.
Michele (21: 43) That’s a tough one because I think no. Well, it’s a yes and no answer. I’ve always been an introverted extrovert. So, for me, I tend to really enjoy people and I’m boisterous and vivacious and I love to giggle and be goofy, but I also have this super quiet side. So, I um, I really loved Covid because I could hunker and not have an excuse to say no. Yeah, exactly. But now I’m finding that I really, uh, what I guess what Covid has changed me is like many people, I’m anxious to get out. I’m not anxious. I’m looking forward to getting out there again and living on this island. For me, it’s, it’s a wonderful community we have in Nantucket. It’s really small. And so, my next move, I think is going to be somewhere else because I’m finding that that imagination that I told you about, that wild river and imagination needs some new, some newness to it. And um, so Covid kind of helped me go within in order to go out again. You know, I felt like I was, I was gaining what I needed to take care of myself and then now I’m ready to ready to do something new. So yeah,
Sharri (23: 21) Yeah, but you bring up a really, really good point that imagination is fueled to a great extent by our surroundings by what’s around us, both people place things. Um, and therefore we have to feed your saying you have to feed your imagination in order to get those creative spurts. Um, yeah, and you love to travel. Yeah,
Michele (23: 48) I love to travel. I haven’t done that in a while. So, I’ve got the travel bug and that always happens this time of year because I started thinking about February or March, which are kind of like, like those months that are really hard, I need sunshine. So, I’m dreaming of my work, you know, in France and all these different places. But um, yeah, it’s, it’s important to, you know, when you experience new things and new places and speak with new people you learn. So, for me it’s all about learning and learning inspires you and once you get inspired then you know, it’s all about growth. So, I feel like I’ve, not that I’ve been stagnant, but um, I think, I think travel is important and inspiration is really important.
Sharri (24: 45) Yeah,
Michele (24: 46) It’s interesting,
Sharri (24: 48) You know, the one thing that I learned, and I’ll just share that because it fits so perfectly as, you know, I’m in France right now, Paris, is how the 18 months of Covid made me not stretch myself in many ways that I was uncomfortable. Um whether it’s groups that you go to, or travel can be uncomfortable, travel stretches us because we, we were out of control throughout most of it. Um, and that’s the one thing that I think is important, whether you’re feeding your inspiration or just trying to grow as a human being is to stretch yourself to be a little bit uncomfortable all the time. Would you agree?
Michele (25: 32) I think it’s absolutely great and that’s the thing that I’ve said to a couple of my friends is that I’m right now and yes, I’ve grown a lot in this last year just with all the knowledge and the technology that I’ve learned, and all these various platforms and you know, now I’m into crypto and coin base and all of this sort of stuff. I’ve got all these creative ideas floating around. But I also think that that you’re that the outer world in which you’re in immediately really needs expansion on occasion. So, I, not having traveled much, really need that right now. And so, I’m going to listen to my soul and do that and I’ll do it in a way that, you know, has art related stuff. I was talking to a gallery owner yesterday, I gave her a couple of paintings and she said you really need to go down to Art Basil and I thought, well that’s on my list of places to go. So that’s in Miami. It’s a huge, artistic fair and I’m thinking of various ways in order to do that to combine the topic on that discussion on that question.
Sharri (26: 46) It is, you know, because okay, so let’s say you go to an art fair, you bring your work to an art fair in Miami You have to get your art there, it’s a whole different community. So, you’re you are, you know out of control in some ways or uncomfortable or stretched whatever word one wants to use. Absolutely, I love how you’re sitting there saying, OK, I could push myself and go do that, I could do that.
Michele (27: 15) You know, we all have to push ourselves in the uncomfortable part, that’s where the growth is. And so, you know, you can sit there and be complacent and think, well this is enough, but that’s not enough for me because I know that life is big and there’s so much out there and listen, I’m getting older.
Sharri (27: 34) What was the podcast? It was a couple of podcasts ago when I said we’re all in that line and the line is the line to, you know, out, not necessarily wherever you think you’re going after this, but where is the line? What are we doing in the line?
Michele (27: 54) I think it’s important also to not stay in the same situation where you’re unhappy. I think we’re here as human beings to be happy. And so, if you’re in a situation where you’re unhappy and you’ve tried to change it, there are ways that you just gotta, you know, again, buckle up buttercup, I love you see, this is whether it’s a difficult conversation, whether it’s uh, like throwing everything out and selling your house and moving. I think the hard choices are where the growth is, and so I’m at that other level right now where I’m making or trying to decide about some decisions which are going to help me grow. So, I think it’s important to listen to that.
Sharri (28: 51) Yes. So, speaking of some of those hard decisions though, are you mentioned in an email to me that your boys – Michelle has three boys – three grown lovely boys who are now men, are moving out west, correct?
Michele (29: 07) Yes,
Sharri (29: 08) So that’s a long way from mama.
Sharri (29: 13) How are you managing all of that?
Michele (29: 16) Yeah, it’s a dichotomy of being really excited for them because look, they’re 24, and 22, its time, they don’t need me, you know, and it’s been wonderful having them here during the pandemic when they all came home. They were living out in California, so I became an empty nester years ago.
Sharri (29: 36) Oh, okay, I wasn’t aware of that.
Michele (29: 38) Yes, but they did come back during the pandemic and it worked out really well, I’ve loved having them here and we’ve uh you know, we giggle and we dance around the kitchen and while we’re cooking, and get serious about our work and support each other, which is great, but it’s time for them to go. It’s again a wonderful community. So much to do here and so much to see, but they’ve lived here all their lives and they really know again that you step out of the comfort zone in order to grow. So, they’re going to be moving in January, the beginning of January and I’m excited for them because they’re going to Montana. And I’ve never been, I’ve always wanted to go, my goodness. That’s different. Yeah. And they’re going together, which is really cool. Excuse me, I’ll have a great place to go visit them. Right? That’s how I look at it. I truly believe that no matter where I am yet, I’m their home and they’re my home. So, we’ll always have that wherever we are. It’s time for them to go out and expand their worlds and, and they’ve been on their own before right there on your own now, just happen to be living here because they all work. Uh, but it’s time, it’s time for them to do their thing. It’s time for me to do my thing.
Sharri (31: 15) But that’s a beautiful way of putting it that our relationship is home. The relationship is what’s home, not the place, not the location of our relationship. I’m their mother and they’re my Children. And that’s what’s home for both of both, all your boys as well as for you and that’s a beautiful way of looking at, it’s an empty nest, they might not live at your house. The relationship, that’s the home,
Michele (31: 42) It still is.
Sharri (31: 43) Yeah, that’s beautiful. So, you’re writing for the magazine, EXTRAORDINARY Women Magazine. Is there anything you want to share, why this artist businesswoman said, I think I’m going to write for a magazine and not just a magazine, a magazine that’s like just starting, you know?
Michele (32: 04) Well, first of all, I really believe in the magazine and what you’re trying to do and sharing with women, you know, the whole premise of this magazine, just to share exciting things with other women and inspire them. And so, for me, inspiration is the big reason. I’ve always been a closet writer. Another point that I really didn’t share. I write poems, I’ve always written poems and I journal a lot. So, for me, writing is a really important way to get stuff out. And one day I remember approaching and he was saying, well, you know, how would you feel if I, you know, started writing for you for this magazine? Because I really felt it was time to share another part of me again. And you kindly said yes, so I was kind of floored by that. But in doing that also, I think, you know, my work with the magazine and my column, so to speak, is about art and art has always been part of me and a big part of me and to be able to interview other artists, female artists who are like who I used to be some of them very quiet, not quite sure how to do a business. You know, they’re making wonderful work, but they don’t know quite what the next step is and they’re shy. I’m trying to help these women come out of their shells and I have other women who have, who are, who are going to be coming up in future articles, who I’ll be interviewing, and you know, they really well uh known women um who decided to transition and they’re doing incredible work. So, I want to share their work with others because hopefully that will inspire other women. So, I think it’s a combination of being able to write and get out at all those files that I have tucked away and be able to share other people’s stories to inspire others. So, it seems like a good fit for what I had hoped to do. And I had several people say throughout my life, you need to be a writer, you need to be a writer. So, it’s just like one more thing that I’m, I’m kind of I without really thinking about it until this moment. I’m kind of checking off little dreams I’ve had and one of them was to write. So, I’ve got the privilege to work with you in the next issue.
Sharri (34: 58) Well, I love it and truly everyone when you read Michelle’s story in January’s issue that’s coming out, it’s absolutely beautiful. So, they are going to love it. But rather than checking off I had this vision as you were talking about a closet and like all your gifts were in the closet and you’ve been taking your gifts out of your closet so much over the last you know, 10 years, 5, 10 years or whatever and this is another one. And so many women are what I call multi potential lights or multi-talented people. You’re not just one thing, you’re not just good at one thing and your purpose isn’t just one thing. You need to bring all your gifts out and not luck, not put them on the shelf in the closet, not put them in your journal and never pull them out, you know, tell the world about. And what I have to commend you on is saying, you know, I’m going to try this, this might be the beginning to precursor to Michelle writing a book, you know, or something else who knows. Um but you have to start somewhere and being willing to start and be out there and have some people see whether it’s your art or reading your writing, it takes courage, but I think you’d agree once you get it out, it really is not, it’s not that big of a deal from that point on.
Michele (36: 29) I so agree, it’s like a conversation really, your angst over it interrupts your night’s sleep and then we finally build up the courage to have this conversation and whether it goes well or not, it’s like, well that wasn’t that difficult. So, it’s about leveling up and I agree that gives them the cause I love that because I can see it. Yes,
Sharri (36: 54) You were talking,
Michele (36: 56) Yeah,
Sharri (36: 57) Your saying, buckle up buttercup. That was in your last, the last issue, I think that, but, but what you just said, you have all the, which is so cool. You have, you just draw out the issues of doing something the first time and what could happen, what could go wrong and what people will say, and then you do it, like, your second article in the magazine, you probably you didn’t give it a second thought other than the fact there was a story you wanted to tell.
Michele (37: 28) Exactly, yes. And I also think the more you do these scary things, the easier it becomes, you know, with, for example, with this live podcast a year ago, if you said, well, you’re going to be doing regular uh interviews and being on, on camera, I would have, you know, run and hidden in my closet.
Sharri (37: 52) Would I’ve been in the closet with you.
Michele (37: 57) I know the more you do it, uh the easier it becomes, and also, I think it’s about being comfortable in our skin as we get older. It’s that old saying, you know, the older you get, the less stuff really matters because you become much truer to who you are. And I found that to be the case, particularly in the last few years. Um just stripping stuff down. It doesn’t matter. We’re all, we’re all going to go to dust and we’re all trying to do our own thing. And so yeah, it’s important to just stay on your path and keep going and don’t give up, just keep trying, something doesn’t work. It’s a learning experience, it’s not a failure, just keep going,
Sharri (38: 43) Yep, yep. Well yeah, it’s so true. So, future. I heard you say you might be getting off the island, so to speak. Um, you might be going or maybe just occasionally for particular stretches, but tell me more, what are people going to see as Michelle’s feature unfolds.
Michele (39: 12) Really good question. I don’t know, I have that wild imagination. So my mind goes and I can visualize, you know, like split into three or four different places like as if I’ve cloned myself and one of my clones is living in, in France and the other one is living in Spain and the other one is living, you know, on a little uh coastal place, somewhere down south Florida or something like that. There’s so much I want to do, and I think a friend of mine visited last month and said, you know, you have a hard time making decisions. But thinking about it, certain things when it comes to my life, I do have a hard time with because I’m thinking not of myself, but of others. I’m thinking of my family, my parents, you know, if I move here when something happens, I think that’s where we all get to that stage when we still have living parents. Um, and you know, I’m going to, if I, if I moved to France, then something happens to my kids when they’re in Montana, you know, okay, that’s, and you start calculating how many days it’s going to take you to get there. Yeah, it’s not just about me because I have family. Um, right, my brother lives on the island and I’m lucky about that to have him here. Um, and uh, so my parents are off island, but they do come on island and the kids are now leaving. So, I think I’m at that point where I’m, I think it’s, it’s about jumping, it’s about making a decision. So, for me, the next summer, this winter I’m going to make a decision whether I stay on island and rent out my two houses as I’ve done in the past and go or if I’m just going to go, you know, so we’ll see what happens. I don’t know, the creative part keeps the wheels spinning and if I do this and have all these inspirational moments of thought and like, I don’t know which one to choose, but the cool thing is I can do anything. Yeah, yeah, I think it’s about not wanting to make a mistake where my decision factor comes into play, where it pertains to other people. But there’s no mistake, it’s my life.
Sharri (41: 54) No, but I think we can. I made this comment to someone recently that some people have plan A. And they have Plan B. And I always have a plan B like an escape plan. And I finally came to the conclusion that I spend way more time planning out Plan B than I’ve been planning out Plan A. Which is what I really want. Where the other one you’re exactly right. It’s all about avoiding failure, heart ache, pain, but it’s something that’s happened. I mean it’s all just; you know, these are worst case scenarios. I need a plan B. An escape
Michele (42: 33) Plan and nothing else is holding me back from anything. But you know, my kids and my parents are all saying go do what, you know, we want you to feel good and so I have to let go of that. Well, I think that comes with love, right? That’s what love is all about is being concerned. So, you can still love from Spain, you can still have stuff happened and be able to get back in time. So yeah, it’s going to be a really interesting winter because I will be making decisions.
Sharri (43: 16) That’s good. Well, this is a good final question then for you and I tend to ask this question all the time. What are, what are he one or two things that you absolutely must have in your life?
Michele (43 : 32) Chocolate mousse. Uh uh.
Sharri (43: 41) Spoken like a true Frenchwoman.
Michele (43: 43) Chocolate mousse of any kind is a really interesting part of my life.
Sharri (43: 52) Dark chocolate or milk?
Michele (43: 53) No, no. Well, I have a tendency to have expensive taste when it comes to chocolate. I also really like M & M’s. I just have a lot to deal with lately. Um, let’s see if well, okay, what else do I need to have? Uh, we’re not talking just about stuff. So, I think, uh, inspiration is always around change. I think I have to have change. I have to have, yeah, um, change as far as like going places. So, because that’s where the inspiration is. So, it comes into play there. I don’t like to be stagnant. I need coffee. That’s the other thing. Coffee is a huge part of my life. And I need, um, I need to laugh more. I think I enjoy. And you know, that’s not bad. Just giggles. I need to, to giggle.
Sharri (45: 05) Yeah, yeah, yeah,
Michele (45: 08) That’s a beautiful vision.
Sharri (45: 11) Beautiful vision though, of Michelle with her and a special coffee maker. Her chocolate, giggling and moving, doing something different all the time. I love that. It’s really special. Well, thank you.
Michele (45: 25) Thank you.
Sharri (45: 26) I so appreciate you. I adore you. As you know, I think your art is phenomenal and everyone needs to buy it
Sharri (45: 37) Because it’s not just beautiful. We’ve now come to the conclusion that there are some mental health benefits to so cheaper than a therapist.
Michele (45: 44) Yeah, I appreciate you having me. I adore you. I will be in a local cafe, please.
Sharri (45: 54) Yes. And maybe a little espresso.
Michele (45: 57) So wonderful.
Michele (46: 01) Thank you so much. I love you.
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