Creativity #31

Jean McGinnis:

I was feeling very thankful for this very specific moment. It's fascinating to me that when you stay in that moment and really feel it the way it is, then things can loosen and unwind and reconnect in different ways.

Willa Wirth:

Great ideas come in, more breath comes in. It's just, it taps into just the creative space that I feel free, I feel alive, I feel inspired, I feel really courageous and brave and I get really excited.

Mark Bessire:

I think the first and foremost is you have such easy access to the arts in Portland. There's not a lot of blocks to getting access. I mean, whether you go out first Friday and you just follow the crowd, there's not a lot of barriers to entry here.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

Hello, this is Dr. Lisa Belisle and you are listening to the Dr. Lisa Radio Hour and podcast show, Number 31 Creativity, which is airing for the first time on tax day, which is maybe not the most creative of dates, but that would be April 15, 2012. Our show is also available by podcast and I'm in the studio today with our co host, wellness editor for the Maine Magazine, Genevieve Morgan. Hi Lisa, how are you today? Ready to talk about creativity?

Genevieve Morgan:

I am, especially on tax day, which is the day I like least in the year.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

Well, it's interesting. It's about giving back, right? If we think about taxes in a way. So if we think about a positive way.

Genevieve Morgan:

Price of civilization.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

Yes, exactly. And today we'll be speaking with Jean McGinnis from the main center for Creativity, Willow Worth, who is a local artisan and silver designer up on the East End, and Mark Bessear, who is the director of the Portland Museum of Art. So a very interesting and diverse group of people to speak about creativity with us.

Genevieve Morgan:

Well, it's pretty hard not to Run into creative people living where we live. It seems like everyone may have a day job, but by night they're doing something creative.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

Yeah, and that's true of the city of Portland and the Portland outskirts, but it's also true of the seems like almost the entire state of Maine.

Genevieve Morgan:

I agree. You have to wear many hats and

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

you actually have to have blinders on to not notice all the creativity that's sort of surging forth from the different corners of the state.

Genevieve Morgan:

But interestingly, a lot of people don't consider themselves creat.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

Well, that is very true. I mean, we're going to spend some time with both Gene McGinnis and Mark Bessear, neither of whom will specifically identify themselves as being artists. And yet they're creating things in their lives, professionally and personally. So I think the definition of creativity has to be broadened out somewhat.

Genevieve Morgan:

Well, how does creativity relate to wellness?

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

Creativity is the most basic function of wellness. When you think about what as human beings, one of the things that we need to do is to reproduce is to carry on the lineage. You know, it's the promulgation of the species. So we need to be able to put forth offspring. So we need to be well enough to actually do that. And we've seen this happen in the last, I don't know, 30 years or so, the rise of infertility in our culture. It's so fascinating to me because people aren't able to create at the most basic level. They're not able to put forth biological offspring. So what that says about things in sort of a larger literal or I guess more metaphorical sense is very interesting for our culture.

Genevieve Morgan:

I never thought of that before, but the opposite of creativity is actually impotency. That sense of being thwarted or somehow wanting to put something forth in the world or generate something. But there's a blockage or some kind of hurdle that you have to carry over.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

Yes, it's a frustration that ends up happening. And actually, what they think of in depression, they call that basically anger turned inward. So it's frustration, anger. And there are also different stages of psychiatry, psychological development. One of them is generativity versus stagnation. So either you're out there and you're putting things out there, or you're stagnant and stuck and not moving anything out there at all.

Genevieve Morgan:

I'm reminded of what Christian Northrup said about when you start to get well, one of the things you want to do is find things that please you. And that can be an artistic experience, like going to a rock concert. Or a symphony or seeing a piece of art on the wall, and that just opening yourself up to visual or sensory pleasure can start you, you know, start moving you through those blockages.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

Yeah, I believe it does have a lot to do with helping us re pattern some of the things in our brain that have kept us stuck for a long time. It helps us reconfigure the neural pathways.

Genevieve Morgan:

And there's really no right or wrong in that. It's just what pleases you.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

There is no right or wrong. I think that the wrong thing that often happens, though, is that we don't give ourselves permission to actually experience things that bring us joy or inspire us or help us to continue living a full life. I think most of, or many of us anyway, believe that our job is to get up in the morning when the sun rises, go make money for our families, come home, feed our children, go to bed. And that's really not living. That's just sort of existing at a very basic level.

Genevieve Morgan:

Lives of quiet desperation.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

Yes, it is very true. And when I see patients in my office, we actually focus on the area of creativity, the Dan Tien, which is sort of the lower abdomen. And I try to get people to even breathe enough so that they can bring energy back into that Dan Tien. It's so interesting that the whole body becomes neglected when you live this life of quiet desperation. It's almost like you're that head on a stick kind of walking around the planet. You're not fully integrated with what's going on in your physical self.

Genevieve Morgan:

And I think you can look at creativity and find things in your own life, whether it's gardening or cooking, or maybe you like to make photo albums for your family. And that's all creative too. It doesn't have to be fine art if you like to sew pillows. It's just something that moves you into that place of generation.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

Yes. And the other thing that's important, especially people in our time of living, time of life, you and I have, Each of us has children. And we spend a lot of time, our creative time, sort of making. Creating lives for our kids and creating lives for the other significant people. So that in itself is a means of creating.

Genevieve Morgan:

And it is the same energy, that mothering energy and the energy to go create something in the world. It's very similar.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

It's similar. Although I do believe that sometimes we get pulled so much into helping other people create their lives or creating other lives for other people, which is a little bit maybe not the right approach to create things for people, but that we sometimes forget to nurture our own selves. And it's important to bring that peace back again. It's important to always put yourself in a place where you, as an individual, can be inspired or to do something creative as opposed to doing it.

Genevieve Morgan:

So what's a good tool for someone who's just listening to us and they want to start adding more creativity into their lives? When you're talking to your patients, what's a good thing to do?

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

Well, I always come back to kind of the reason why we live in the state, or at least one of the reasons why I live in the state, which is the outside, the outdoors. And almost anyone can go outside. You know, even when it's cold, you can put on your bean boots and your parka. And hopefully people who are listening here on April 15, hopefully it's not still that cold, but go outside and try to move away from experiencing only what's in your head to experiencing what's going on outside of your body. Try to really breathe. Notice what's going on in the sky, notice what's going on in the trees. You know, try to feel the ground underneath your feet, because I think then that's less pressure to, quote, unquote, be creative. And it just is an opening that needs to happen to start the process.

Genevieve Morgan:

Well, I guess nature is the biggest creation of all, so it is the biggest creation.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

We have no control over it. We have to accept it, but we can at the same time appreciate it. And we can see also that there's a perpetuity that exists and that we're part of it. That we are part of it. Yeah, that things will ebb and flow, that in our own lives, our creativity will wax and wane. But, you know, there is always this coming back around. So when you go into nature, then you're reminded of that being the case. And today we're going to be reminded of creativity being so important to our health and wellness through our discussions with Jean McGinnis, Willow Worth, and Mark Bessear. Anyone who's listening today who has their own creative ideas for our show, we'd really love to hear them. So if you are listening and you want to give us a thought, we've had messages through Facebook on different shows which we'll actually be incorporating into into our future lineup. Thank you for those who have spent the time to actually communicate with us. Thank you for being a part of our own creative process, and we hope you enjoy the show. Each week on the Dr. Lisa radio Hourum Podcast, we're pleased to offer a segment we call Wellness Innovations. Sponsored by the University of New England. This week's Wellness Innovation demonstrates how creative the University of New England is as they approach health sciences. Recently, the University of New England partnered with the Michael T. Goulet Traumatic Brain Injury and Epilepsy foundation for the 10th annual Interprofessional Education Collaborative Spring Symposium that brought together graduate students in all of UNE's health professions to explore neuroscience discoveries and clinical practice. The symposium has been organized around a case study on Michael Goulet, who endured a traumatic brain injury as a result of a snowmobile injury. Dr. Dora Mills, UNE's vice president of Clinical affairs, spoke on the topic what's Public Health Got to Do With It? To listen to our Dr. Lisa Radio Hour and podcast interview with Dr. Dora Mills, please subscribe to our podcast on itunes. To learn more about the University of New England's Wellness Innovations, visit drlisabelisle.com

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

Lisa Radio Hour and Podcast, we're exploring the idea of creativity. Creativity is a brain process. It's a very interesting thing which we have yet to pin down, but we know that it often leads to fairly profound ideas that move the world forward in ways perhaps unanticipated. So it's interesting that we have Jean McGinnis for the main center for Creativity in talking with us today because she's doing this sort of thing on a main scale. Good to have you in today, Jean.

Jean McGinnis:

Thank you.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

And I have Genevieve Morgan sitting next to me.

Genevieve Morgan:

Good morning, Jean.

Jean McGinnis:

Good morning.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

I think, Jean, a lot of people will know the Bain center for Creativity best by the tanks as they're driving in from in from the south or through the airport sort of ways. If you look over to the right hand side and this is me showing my creative brain trying to decide right or left. We have oil tanks which I think are Sprague oil. Is that right? And they're painted. How did you come up with this idea? Why paint tanks?

Jean McGinnis:

It's a great question. I was on a bike ride at Bug Light park and for probably the previous couple of years I had been thinking about how can I give back and create a center for creativity. I was intrigued by creativity. I thought it was important to how we live our daily lives and my mind Was really just turning over this problem of how do we move Maine forward? And in that thinking, I thought about think tanks. And as I was riding my bike with my husband over by Bug Light park one day, it was a beautiful day. I was seeing the beauty of really the harbor, Portland harbor, and came around a corner and suddenly this reverie that I was in stopped because I was now seeing white tanks. But instead of really, my mind went ahead of me in terms of it was the aha moment. Instead of really stopping and thinking, oh, you know, what are these things? They're in my way, I thought, wow, what an incredible canvas to put art on. Because part of my thinking around creativity, of course, was related to how important the art is in our state, how many talented people we have in our state, and how in many ways they're hidden in their studios doing their work. And I was trying to think of a way that Maine could really stand out and really be put on the map for creativity and innovation. And when this really picture came to my mind of beautiful color and design on this group of tanks, it stuck with me. It was truly an aha moment that I couldn't let go of. And when I started to share it with other people, they too held onto it. They didn't say, oh, that's kind of a crazy thing, what are you thinking?

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

Right. It had a little bit of stickiness to it.

Jean McGinnis:

It had stickiness and it really began to go on a roll. And it was a very parallel track with the forming of the center for Creativity as well. So these two ideas combined were really what began to move us into action, that we needed a Center for Creativity in order to really pay attention to the fact that creativity is in our personal lives and in our economic lives here in Maine.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

And this is. You've had the Maine center for Creativity around for five years and it's currently a non profit. The way that it's set up, I

Jean McGinnis:

couldn't think of the business model that would work at the time. And so I thought, okay, how do we do it here in America? Well, we form nonprofits called 501c3s and we see if there are other like minded people who would like to contribute to the advancement of that work. And I really think of it as work to try to nurture creativity in the community. But it's a playful work as well. It sort of has a nice combination of balance where you play and you create, but you persevere and you persist as well.

Genevieve Morgan:

In Europe, they have ministers of culture. We don't have that here. So is the center trying to take that role on?

Jean McGinnis:

In some ways, it's interesting that you connected it with Europe, because one of my first deep trainings around creative economy was attending the third International Conference on Creative Economy in Belfast, Northern Ireland. And interestingly, my family is from Ireland. So it's just kind of a, you know, life brings you these things, and if you're open to them, you respond. And I went to this conference and really studied what others had been doing. And that was one of the reasons I thought about, well, I'd have to create the 501C3 because the European governments were the government's directors of culture, arts and sports. As an example would be some of their titles. So I think it's great that we now have a sports commission here in Maine, so that we're really looking at how do we put all these ideas about how we live our lives into a place that shows people that we want to attract them here. Because a lot of what we want to do here in Maine is bring more people here. We have the room, we have the beauty to share, and it seems important to let people know that we're nurturing creativity.

Genevieve Morgan:

I'm fascinated by the idea that the blank tanks sparked your creativity. So what is your creative process?

Jean McGinnis:

I think it's a lot about trying to create a balance of space and intense thinking. Space and intense thinking or deep thinking? I don't know if it's intense, but the fact that I was on a bike ride sort of points out that I was breaking away from the work of trying to solve the problem, and instead I was really just letting the universe sort of come in. And I think it's pretty fascinating myself. I mean, believe me, this doesn't happen all the time. But I felt it was very fascinating that I was in such a state of not just revelry, but gratitude. I was feeling very thankful for this very specific moment I was in. A moment. I was riding my bike with my husband. The sky was blue. You know, the ocean looked gorgeous. The temperature was perfect. It was one of those main September days. And it's fascinating to me that when you stay in that moment and really feel it the way it is, then things can loosen and unwind and reconnect in different ways. And one of the dilemmas I was trying to solve in this creative work was how do we build infrastructure around our creative people? And how do we create the infrastructure that's new and different? Because our business systems are all changing. The traditional systems aren't working. The new Systems are coming up and the tanks really just struck me suddenly as infrastructure. Oh, my goodness, those are infrastructure. Now, previous to that moment, I could not have seen them as infrastructure, but I really understood, oh, this is what infrastructure is. This is how we drive around. This is how we fly in planes. This is how our paper mills go. This is sort of the quiet stuff that's underneath what we're doing. And you know, we probably have passed those tanks thousands of times and we don't really think about how it holds together a lifestyle that we live. And whether you agree with it or not is sort of exactly the juice, you know, that's where the juice is. So my personal process seems to mimic, you know, that whole idea of you sort of, you're sorting through a problem, you release it for a while, go and sing, dance, paint, and then boom, something new gets connected. And people sometimes ask me when they talk to me, are you. What kind of an artist are you? And I say, I don't know. I don't know what this is called, but I know I'm creating something. And I think creation is really where the excitement is.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

What types of things are you doing other than painting tanks?

Jean McGinnis:

We run programs. Part of our mission is one, to create high visibility projects that foster the art of the possible. The other is create the programs and networking opportunities to help the creative industries grow. And the third is to stimulate innovative partnerships regionally, nationally and internationally. So one of the things that we're doing is called Creative Toolbox series. One of our board members, Rafael d', Aluisio, created the concept of right when the recession hit, we said, boy, we need to do something around putting some tools in place for creative people to really sort of survive this recession and provide it very inexpensively. So we're able to get some fabulous speakers to come in and share how things work. When you're putting creative projects into gear and getting them funded. We've had intellectual property seminars, we've had marketing seminars. Coming up, we're having something called a design science seminar. And Rafael d' Aluisio is going to explain it and share the program that he's developing at usm.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

What types of people have you been able to bring in as board members or contributing individuals for your organization?

Jean McGinnis:

It's really fascinating because it's such a cross section of people. And I had been through the ICL Collaborative Leadership course sort of simultaneously. A friend said, if you're going to do this, you have to go through this course.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

And this is the Institute for Civic Leadership.

Jean McGinnis:

They really teach collaborative leadership. And one of the key components is putting unusual stakeholders together. So I was very conscious and conscientious about male, female, Democrat, Republican business artists. And by doing that, we have a fascinating board of people. And I think the common piece for all of them and why we can work together is this interest in creativity and a knowledge of creativity, whether it's in how they do their business or how they create art or both.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

What have some of the challenges been?

Jean McGinnis:

Language. I would say language is always a challenge because oftentimes we. We work through language to sort of get to a common understanding. But language can put a fog around our full meaning. And what I mean by that is sometimes words don't really quite describe what you're trying to say. And so you can argue about, for instance, the color blue. Is it navy blue? Is it purpley blue? Is it pink? Blue? Is it green Blue? How many shades of blue can you think of as I begin to talk about blue? And so when we use words to try to get to agreement, it can sometimes be a time when you have to really discuss it and really get down to what shade of blue is that? And of course, by using that metaphor, I'm describing what can sometimes happen in politics as well, because we get stuck on the words. Yet it is the working through of what that word means and what color we're really talking about that begins to get us moving forward and really creating that work, that together we make it happen. Because there's never one person that makes it happen.

Genevieve Morgan:

And certainly public art can become a hot button. Everyone has their opinion about public art. So how do you respond to your critics of the tank project of the.

Jean McGinnis:

It's really why I wanted it out there. I really wanted a public discussion of art, of creativity there. When I first started talking about this, even with the newspaper, they didn't know which reporter to send to me. And I said, well, send the business reporter. So, no, we can't send the business reporter. Okay, send the arts reporter. Well, it's not really just arti. It's. It's an interesting project because it truly is the combination of business and art, but it's working as one, so it's something else. It doesn't fit in either of those boxes. And public art is that vehicle that allows us, not allows us just, you know, almost, you know, from inside, we have to express what we think about what's happening in the public art arena, and that's a good thing. And the big things that I learned personally through that process was to sit and listen, hear what people are saying, hear where the fears are here, where the excitement is, hear where the frustrations are, because all of that is part of what we're dealing with in our community. It wasn't easy, and I didn't know I wasn't knowledgeable about how it would affect me and what I would have to do.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

So how did it affect you?

Jean McGinnis:

I think it gave me a bigger connection to all the levels of frustration in the community and a bigger connection to all the beauty and high thinking in the community as well. And so it's sort of, again, opposite ends coming together and saying, wow, we're all connected to these big, amazing thoughts, you know, and we're also connected to these very dark thoughts. And together, when we express them and put them out there, then we move forward as a community. So it's really fascinating stuff what art brings up.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

Do you think that's a metaphor for the individual, where most of us have dark thoughts? Not that I'm admitting anything, but many. Let's just say most of us have dark thoughts, but most of us have thoughts of beauty. Do you think that that mirrors.

Jean McGinnis:

It just seems like the human condition, and the more we can grab onto our positive thoughts and actually create what we imagine in those big spaces, I think the more exciting our lives are, the more exciting our community is. I mean, some people said, who are you to do this? You know? And I said, I don't know. I'm just me. You know, I'm just Jean. I had the picture. I talked to people, and really, who are you not to create your big vision as well? And I find it wonderful that because the center for Creativity exists, people share with me their big ideas. And I can't always do much about it, but I can tell them my journey and what I did. I can give suggestions, hope, ways that they might go about it that they might not have thought about before. So I think people in the community sharing their big visionary ideas is an important part of our creative growth and our economic growth. And the more we can unleash the creativity in the community. And the more we can help put people together to create these beautiful things that people are thinking about, the more wonderful our lives become individually and as a full community as well.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

Jean, as we're recording this, you're getting ready to go to Paris. Are you doing this as a means of stimulating your own creativity?

Jean McGinnis:

I'm sure it will, but interesting story on this. It's a bucket list item for my husband. Not too long ago this past fall, he fell very ill. And he's a very healthy, athletic man. Handsome too, I may add.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

And I hope he listens to this because I can hear the love just coming from you.

Jean McGinnis:

Well, and we both had a scare that he couldn't go to work for three weeks, and that had never ever happened to him before. And he said, you know, I'm looking at my bucket list and I have a master's in art history and I haven't been to Paris. And I said, you're right, honey. We're going. I don't know how. I don't know really why I think this is realistic, but we just pieced it together in odd ways. And we're going on April 1st on

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

April Fool's Day and also I think Palm Sunday. Yeah. So you have all kinds of auspicious things happening.

Jean McGinnis:

So we're going to have to really flow with the community of the world to go through Palm Sunday and April Fool's Day on the same day. Traveling.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

Jean, do you want to tell our

Genevieve Morgan:

listeners about the next Toolbox lecture? Creative Toolbox lecture?

Jean McGinnis:

Yes. On May 9, we'll be talking about design science. It's really a conversation about sharing what is design science and how does it affect you and your work. And the work can be artistic work or business work. And design science is idea that the language of design and the language of science have connections. And the more we connect them, the more we can state problems accurately and solve problems well. So Rafael d' Aluisio from USM will share a little bit of history about what is design science? What has it been used for? And then we'll have a speaker from Sinnetics, which is one of the early people involved in this whole idea of design science. They're from Cambridge, Mass. And they'll be up here to really talk about how it's applied in the

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

real world and how can people find out more about this toolbox series or about your organization, go to the website

Jean McGinnis:

maincenterforcreativity.org well, Jean, we wish you all

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

the best on your trip, you and your husband. And I'm sure that it's a great bucket list item to be following through. And I'm sure you'll come back creatively inspired.

Jean McGinnis:

I was just going to say, who knows what I might bring back from this trip.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

We hope you'll come back in and talk to us about what you learned.

Jean McGinnis:

Definitely. I will. Thank you for the invitation.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

We're in studio today with Willow Worth, who has had many lives, I suspect, and even many lives within the one she's living now, walking this earth as a human being. But currently she is up on the East End here in Portland and does, well, so many things, but partially she's a jewelry designer and she also does a lot of yoga. You should see her Facebook page. It's amazing. There's a lot of creativity flowing, which is why we thought she would be perfect for the show on creativity. So welcome to you, Willa. Thanks for coming in today.

Willa Wirth:

Thanks for having me. It's an honor.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

And I have Genevieve next to me. Genevieve Morgan, my co host.

Genevieve Morgan:

Hi, Willa. Nice to see you.

Willa Wirth:

Good morning, Genevieve.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

Now, Willa, you came in wearing workout clothes, which of course is radio, so people can't really see you, but I'm outing you on the air for that.

Willa Wirth:

Yes, but there Lululemon.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

Yes. And that's all good. We like Lululemon. But tell me, why is working out so important to creativity for you?

Willa Wirth:

Well, it's actually, it's like my first priority, aside from coffee in the morning. And it's very important to me because I was telling you before we came on the air that. It's an access to transformation for me, where the energy of what's going on in my thoughts becomes something totally different. And great ideas come in, more breath comes in. It's just, it taps into just the creative space that I feel free in, that I feel alive in. I feel inspired. I feel really courageous and brave. And I just, I get really excited, you know, and even when I'm challenged and then I just, in that excitement, I'm like, okay, I'm gonna stand on my head today and do my abs while I'm standing on my head. After I do 33, you know, like. And I do, like, number multiples and, you know, multiples of 11 and great music. And so it's kind of like this physical, lyrical salad between movement and thought and challenge and breath and the last, last bit of it is ever a fashion show.

Jean McGinnis:

Yeah.

Genevieve Morgan:

Willie, you talk a lot about energy and part of your. How has energy in your relationship to how you feel and sense energy outside of yourself played into becoming an artist and becoming a jewelry designer?

Willa Wirth:

Well, in that question, you said becoming. And I think we already are what, you know, what this compact energy is called? A human being. We already are what we're here to do and what we're supposed to be. But we've spent a lot of time distracting ourselves. And once we continue to uncover and remove what has gotten in the way or whatever it is, whether it's a thought or a true literal thing, what you realize is you become what you already have been the whole time along. And it's beautiful. And you don't have to strive to be something you're not. That's what's tiresome, exhausting, fear based. But when you just are what you are, you inspire people, you let love in, you give love out, you create things that you didn't realize because it just happens. It's a part of the process. But you're actively engaged and involved. So there is magic there. There are possibilities there. There are things that do happen that people wouldn't believe, and you tell them and they're skeptical, but because they don't live in that consciousness, they have chosen to not. But it's all energy. Whether it's positive or negative, it's all energy, you know, and it sort of my path in my life has. I would say it's all a choice, but for me, it's not really been a choice. I've been a really creative being my whole life. Whether I'm like drawing spirals in the sand or I'm stacking rocks, or I want to cook something and I'm tasting it until the spices are right or, you know. And so when you have an idea and it's coupled with a mission, you know, something that has meaning, the direction of it is so powerful. You know, Wayne Dyer breaks down the word Dr. Wayne Dyer breaks down the word enthusiasm to. I wish I could remember it specifically, but it's like, you know, God with. So when you have enthusiasm about something, there's a force. It's like there's a voltage in there that it's like it's happening. It's not going to happen. It's happening.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

so tell me, how do you work with sort of having to make a living in your life? I mean, you also are a business owner. You've identified the fact that you have a store up on Munjoy Hill on the East End. I know that you work with our friend Robin Hodgkin, who came in and did a Girl Power segment with us.

Willa Wirth:

She's amazing and she is. I love her so much.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

And she's very good at bringing people back to the concrete. We actually had Margaret Minister o', Keeffe, who's a lawyer and does creative work with creative people. Yep.

Willa Wirth:

Margaret's a great woman as well.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

Right. But you have to be able to live within this world. You have to be able to sort of. So how do you not compromise that creative energy and at the same time function in a world that is going to demand certain things of you, like pay your light bill?

Willa Wirth:

Right. Well, I'll tell you what. It's a good question. And it's definitely a dance between incredibly practical organization and manifestation and praying, you know, because a part of me is like, oh, dear God, please, I need a trip.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

Take me away.

Willa Wirth:

You know, and another part is like, wait, I'm so lucky that I have these lights. Okay. You know, this is the bill. This is the. So it's like I have to kind of force myself to look at it differently because some of these things have really challenged me. The really pragmatic point and shoot. I own a business. My light bill, my.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

But

Willa Wirth:

these challenges have actually motivated me to look at it differently.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

So how do you look at it differently? How would you look at your light bill differently?

Willa Wirth:

I look at it in the way that it fuels all my tools. It's like it's what's going to keep the drill going, the beautiful picture window on. So it's like fire to my world, you know, so I'm grateful for it. I'm grateful for this bill that I'm paying because it's adding light to my life. So I've had to really force myself to look at things differently like this, because otherwise it's stressful. And there are things that I'm still really working on as a business owner to kind of quote, unquote, step up. But another part of it is the best I can do is show up every day. And I'm so grateful about what I've created thus far. I'm grateful that people enjoy what I created, and I really want to step up and share as much as I have to offer in this planet. And so just starting with what I have is excellent. But I would say in an ideal situation, I would definitely like to have my website to the next notch. It's fine where it's at. But, I mean, I'm a visionary, so I'm happy, yes, with the way things are, but I'm a seeker, too. So I'm like, okay, let's take this and let's bring it to the next level, people I have. I do my best to take responsibility for the things that have happened to me, because I know it's my choice, maybe not what happens to me, but how I look at it and what I'm going to do about it, you know, and do I want to repeat that story anymore, really, you know, over and over. And I think as humans, we are brilliant. And what goes in the mind just continues to pump around, you know, it's kind of like a cycle. So we have to add in new information. It's imperative. So you've got to work with fear and be constructive with it, you know?

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

Well, I have one last question, because this is. We could talk, I think, for Genevieve.

Mark Bessire:

Right?

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

We could talk all morning with you.

Mark Bessire:

Yeah.

Willa Wirth:

This is fun.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

And it's really fun. Yeah.

Genevieve Morgan:

You'll have to come back.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

I'd love to.

Mark Bessire:

I'll wear a different color.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

Yes. Well, and you'll have to bring some more of your jewelry, too, because it's beautiful. And I met you at a place where you were showing your jewelry, and my daughter Sophie really resonated to a piece, and I got a piece for my daughter and myself. So here's my question.

Jean McGinnis:

Why Maine?

Genevieve Morgan:

How did.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

What is about Maine? I mean, you have a water theme that kind of goes throughout many of the pieces that you do, including the wave that's on your chest, this pendant that you're wearing.

Jean McGinnis:

Why Maine?

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

And what is it about Maine that speaks to you?

Willa Wirth:

I would say it's the ocean. Absolutely, the ocean. That's what keeps me here, and that's what keeps me coming back. There was a stage where I really wanted to move to Colorado because that part of the earth really, really sings to me as well. But Maine, the ocean, there's a warmth in the people. You know, the community here is so lovely. It's dynamic in a way that maybe you wouldn't think. And I really like that. I also like that you can drive across Portland in, like, 10 minutes, you know, rush hour, maybe 20 max, so. And, you know, 100 miles.

Jean McGinnis:

Whoops.

Willa Wirth:

100 miles from Logan. And so. But. But Maine is crisp and it's beautiful, and you can just be in nature in, like, a snap. And that's really important to me. That's what keeps me whole, is nature. So Maine. Maine is Maine. Is it? It's beautiful and beautiful people live here, like you guys and like you. Making the world more colorful.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

That's right.

Genevieve Morgan:

Willa, can you tell us where your store is?

Willa Wirth:

Yep. I'm up on Munjoy Hill. The address is 99 Congress Street. I keep my hours Tuesday through Saturday, 12 to 6, but sometimes I jaunt out and put a note in the door, like, if it's gorgeous out, and. Or I hop on the paddle board, and so. But appointment anytime. And I love to have people come into the shop and, you know, find something special for them. It's very cool.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

And you have a website.

Willa Wirth:

I do have a website, willoworth.com and I never had a plug for Facebook on it, but I have someone doing that because my Facebook is what I keep. You know, I like to pop all my new pieces and my thoughts and my. I really like that being, you know, the full part of who I am. And all my work is custom, handmade, one of a kind. So it's really neat for people to come and come in and try it on and feel what it feels like, because they'll know. And that's what's really amazing about it. That's the energy piece. It's very interesting. So it's nice to see people find something, identify with it, and take it and keep my lights on.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

It's good to pay the light bill. Yes, it is. Yes, it is. Well, we very much appreciate your coming in and talking to us today about creativity. Willa, you are clearly a very accomplished jewelry designer, as I know, having purchased several of your pieces. So I wish you all the best and thank you. Keep putting that energy out there.

Willa Wirth:

Oh, I will.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

on the Dr. Lisa Radio Hour and podcast, we're pleased to have with us Mark Bessear, who is the director of the Portland Museum of Art. Mark, I've been to your museum many, many times, both as a museum member and also member of the public. I brought my children there. What I love about the Portland Museum of Art is it's not a sort of staid and clunky institution. I mean, it's got things for people at all different stages in their lives. And you've been dealing with artists of lots of different sorts. Is this one of the things that drew you to the Portland Museum of Art?

Mark Bessire:

I definitely think so. I mean, the museum itself is such an extraordinary platform. If you consider we're a city of about 65,000 people, what, maybe, I don't know, 250 in Greater Portland, we have a membership level that's almost 8,000 people. So in terms of demographics, you inherently have this community that cares about art. And right now, the moment is so strong. I mean, how many cities have kind of the ecology? We have where you've got galleries, you've got Maine College of Art, you've got space, and then you've got the literary side, you've got the Telling Room, the Portland Museum of Art, and they're all basically within 10 square blocks. So on a first Friday night, you could sample just about any aspects of the arts, whether you're going to ovations, the stage or the symphony. You have to look to a city probably two to three times our population base to have the amount of things you could do on any given night.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

So there's creativity just sort of seeping from the pores of the city.

Mark Bessire:

It's bubbling out and it's nice because I think, again, I've been, you know, I think the word ecology was so kind of overused or has too much baggage. But it kind of adds this notion that to make a good ecology that works for everybody, you've got to have folks who are students, folks who are emerging artists, folks who are practicing, folks that are here but could be in New York or Chicago. And you have an institution that gives you the catalog, the institution that gives you the pamphlet, the bar where you can have your open house. Whether it's music or it's of poets you're reading. All those things kind of breed into what's making Portland so successful. And I think, you know, folks are like, oh, well, don't do those events all in the same night. But actually, Portland's the greatest when there's too much happening on one night. Like, what was it, Friday night? Snoop Dogg, the president and the mustache thing, the radio, Music Hall, Right. It was like, what a night for Portland. You know, you had the ultimate high low all at once. Half the town's cut off for the president. Snoop Dogg's across the street, and Occupy Main is in the square. And it was just like, you know, someone came and dropped from another city, and they're like, you know, what's happening in this place?

Genevieve Morgan:

You live in the coolest place, Hunter

Mark Bessire:

you do, you know, but it's really great. And I think all that energy feeds off of each other. Like, it really does drive. So having more things happen at one time is really exciting. And the museum is lucky where we're located. You know, I like that we're on kind of Upper Congress in some ways as an anchor. And I didn't know when I took the job, but you got to go back to the Payson Buildings, 1983. So when that building gets put in in 1983, it was really pretty much the only modern building in the state.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

And there's a very famous architect for

Mark Bessire:

your and Harry Cobb, who actually, his family, actually his great grandparents lived on the same lot that the building was built on. And he's been going to North Haven forever. And so he knew about the geography. So it's kind of neat. If you go through our building, top floor, you can see peaks from the backside. And on the Congress street side, on a clear day, you can see Mount Washington. So he clearly knew how to position the building and then locate it there. But even when I first arrived 13 years ago, and actually, Jen, you guys came right up, you know, it was pretty sketchy right up there in the corner. You know, it's been a lot of change around, but having the museum as that anchor position up there, I think really does make a difference. And the building sends a real strong signal, I think, out to the archaeological community.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

And having done a few first Friday art walks, I know that I've seen more and more artists sort of building out studio or gallery space along Congress Street. Have you also noticed that?

Mark Bessire:

Yeah, I mean, having the studios, I mean, I think one of the things, you know, and I think Mike, Brendan Ramirez knows about it and the city knows about it. The thing is, cities develop. You don't want to lose your artist presence downtown because that adds that sense of authenticity or integrity where you can drop in and go to the studio building. You know, Chris Campbell's building and space is right there. You have to be able to have immediate access to artists to make that kind of ecology really work. If they get priced out of it and you don't have that real presence downtown, I think that would be. Is a real threat to the community, actually.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

So it's not just gallery space and a place to sell your work, but it's also the studio space itself.

Mark Bessire:

It's got to be a place to create. The nice thing about being in Portland is we don't have much bureaucracy. So if you want to go see an artist work in a studio, you can make a phone call and you can go do it. I mean, it's not that hard. You know, people have these, you know, I think in some ways the gallery experience for some people aren't used to buying art. You see an item on the wall and it doesn't have a price tag and how do you buy a work of art? But in all honesty, we need to break down some of those barriers because I think the galleries have the biggest struggle here.

Genevieve Morgan:

I guess what I'm interested in, especially with the Telling Room and what you've been doing with the museum, is how the future of our economy in America is going to be more based on people open to their creative creativity and their natural based creativity. I mean, Apple's the most valued company in America right now. And one of the reasons is because it was open to creativity. And so we kind of have to get the right brain, left brain integrated. And I feel like you at the museum are really helping do that for our state.

Mark Bessire:

You know, I'm glad you said that. That's exactly what we're trying to do. And we want to be as open again. We all talk about how open and getting people in and the notion of having the museum, really what we're here in many ways to do is to showcase the creativity in the state. So our job is to bring folks in so more people can have access to the people that we're showing.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

Well, I know that we don't have much time. There's so much more that we could talk about in this. I am somewhat fascinated by the 18 year old that knew that he wanted to be a museum director. Can you just give me a little brief snippet on how that happened.

Jean McGinnis:

Because I am an 18 year old.

Mark Bessire:

My parents only hobby was seeing art. That's all we did. You know, I was lucky enough to travel.

Genevieve Morgan:

You're a testimony to access.

Mark Bessire:

Travel. If I'm a testimony to access. And my brother actually is the deputy director at the ICA in Boston, so

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

something which by the way, I've been to and I love. So congratulations to him.

Mark Bessire:

Yeah, he's great too. So I, you know, we just grew up. That's what we did was, you know, I grew up mostly in Manhattan, so on the weekends or with my parents, you know, you saw shows. So even, I mean, Jen knows she grew up. I grew up in the Upper west side and to the Upper east side. You know, our playground where the Met was always free as a kid. You know, you can pay a nickel if you want. I mean, it's a wonderful institution. Talk about access. You know, it's suggested is like $22, but it's actually for a kid, it's a nickel. And so that was your playground or what's the great book? And maybe my wife became an art historian mostly because of the mixed up files, Mrs. Bazile Franklin, you know, this notion of the kids wandering into the museum and getting to spend the night and they've realized, oh my gosh, these items of history are not dead, they're alive. They're really relevant. You know, this notion that a history, I think we grew up where history, so many was taught about this kind of mummified history. And I think access to the arts really allows us to look at the past in a much more interesting way. But the director thing, I have no idea where. I mean, except for looking at art, knowing why I do it. I went to college away, meaning I went from New York to Connecticut and it didn't work out. And I went back to New York and I started working at a museum, I guess my sophomore year in college and. And just stuck with it. There's no linear path to a director. Everyone tells you not to do it because it's. There is no real way to do it. You just have to. It's a passion, I guess. Like being an artist, though I definitely can't draw, I'm tone deaf and I really have no creative talent. But I think a director is more of a producer, like a producer of a movie. You have to keep an eye on all the moving pieces, keep the talent happy, raise the money and then coordinate, you know, different groups bringing together to do A production. So it's kind of like being a producer, I think would be the closest.

Genevieve Morgan:

That is your art.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

You are producing something bigger than we're going to give you credit for that.

Mark Bessire:

All right.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

Okay. And we're also going to let you tell us where it is that people can find more information about the Portland Museum of Art.

Mark Bessire:

Well, first of all, we're on Congress street, as you all know, and so you always welcome. We're almost open all the time during the summer, seven days a week. You certainly can go to our website. We're in most published material all over the city, and we'd love to have anyone come through. And this is a big year for us. We opened the Winslow Homer Studio in September, and Winslow Homer talked about creativity. So much of the notion of the reputation of Maine is so tied to Winslow Homer, where lots of great artists came to maine, to Monahegan, 1820s Triscott, then Church and Cole come out, you know, the Hudson River Valley School come to Katahdin. But it's not really till Homer shows up in 1880s that after he shows up, you've got Marin, Hopper, O'. Keeffe. All the great modernists start to flow through. And really that broke the gates open, the 20th century. The artists who come to Maine, whether it's Borofsky who lives here, or it's Alice Katz or it's Lois Dodd or it's Pope Bell, you've also got Skowhegan, you've got Jacob Lawrence, William Pope Bell. The diversity of artists coming through Maine up until today. Kippy Camp up in Southwest Harbor, Haystack, you name it, it's all here.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

So it started with home.

Mark Bessire:

I think Homer's a linchpin because he tells the story where he's the connection to the past and he's the connection to the future. And he's the artist who came to Maine and stayed. And his greatest work is the last 30 years of his life in many ways. And that's the most creative and it's the platform to modernism. So when we're restoring the studio, what we're really doing is finding this moment where we can connect the past creativity of Maine to the future by using the notion of a studio. Because one interesting thing is in contemporary artists, as many of you we're doing with digital material, it's amazing how many folks are going back to the very traditional studio practice. And it's for writers, too, musicians, getting back to this square space somewhere in Portland or in your home, where you actually do your work versus this moment where it was all in Starbucks on your computer. I think folks are getting back into their little cubicles and creating creative spaces throughout Portland where amazing things are happening.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

So the museum's website is.

Mark Bessire:

Oh, I guess we're www.portlandmuseum.com.org. excuse me, we're an org.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

Very good. And I encourage people who are listening to spend some time looking at your website. Maybe going out, they can actually visit the Homer.

Mark Bessire:

We'll be opening in September and we'll be online this summer when you can start signing up for tours. And it's going to be incredible.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

It is going to be incredible. I've walked around that area and looked from the outside, so I can't wait for that. And I will see you over at the Portland Museum of Art sometime in the very near future.

Mark Bessire:

Great. Well, thank you all so much. And I think your show is so fabulous. I mean, getting the notion of creativity and really talking to a broader audience about access and really inclusive, which is what's so fantastic. So thank you.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

This is Dr. Lisa Belisle. You have been listening to the Dr. Lisa Radio Hour and Podcast airing on April 15, 2012 with the topic Creativity. Today we spoke with Gene McGinnis from the main center for Creativity, Willow Worth, local Silver designer and artisan, and Mark Bessier, director of the Portland Museum of Art. Be sure to like our Dr. Lisa Facebook page and send us an email at infooctorlisabalial.com if you'd like to become an E. News subscriber. We thank you very much for being a part of our world and helping us to continue to be creative in the way that we approach health and Wellness. This is Dr. Lisa Belisle. May you have a bountiful life.