The FRONT of the bag:
The front of the bag takes the central focus of Cheryl’s painting, and layers it across the two forward facing pockets of the bag. That central focus being the silhouette of the person with hand to chin and lips while facing the FRONT.
As a student of Cheryl’s, I feel obligated to smile big and hold back on imposing any kind of definition on what this artwork is supposed to represent. I have been swimming in the fabric used to make these bags, and I have sat in observation of Cheryl’s original painting for many years. It resides in my house hanging where I am lucky enough to observe it frequently. I am sure at this point that the meaning I have begun to derive from this work is very subjective.
Cheryl taught me a lot about the permission we should all grant ourselves to embrace the fact that we can bring ourselves to the table when we are enjoying artwork that someone else has created. The lesson was precisely that the meaning we might presume or project is influenced heavily by what we are ourselves bringing to the table. This is what the Badass Backpacks team means when we talk about: Bring your full self. Put yourself inside. Face the front. What you bring to the conversation can change everything. And just when you least expect it… (you can’t plan for screen magic), the very thing that you bring with you: will make magic happen.
It’s a beautiful idea to make front and center: because it all starts with you, showing up, and facing the FRONT. “Keep the channel open”… Cheryl shared this beautiful quote by Martha Graham with me – this quote has swirled in my head relentlessly during our BFD sessions focused on creating this bag:
“There is a vitality, a life force, an energy, a quickening that is translated through you into action, and because there is only one of you in all of time, this expression is unique. And if you block it, it will never exist through any other medium and it will be lost. The world will not have it. It is not your business to determine how good it is nor how valuable nor how it compares with other expressions. It is your business to keep it yours clearly and directly, to keep the channel open. You do not even have to believe in yourself or your work. You have to keep yourself open and aware to the urges that motivate you. Keep the channel open. … No artist is pleased. [There is] no satisfaction whatever at any time. There is only a queer divine dissatisfaction, a blessed unrest that keeps us marching …”
-Martha Graham
Show up. Face the FRONT. 🙂