Tiger Orbs – Get it from my shop onto your wall!

The sticky, brownish red food she gave me resembled a fruit roll up, which was why, when I finally took a bite, my tongue was shocked at the salty flavor. “What is this?” I asked.

“Porky pig roll ups,” she replied with a mischievous smirk.

I spit it out as soon as the words were out, clawing at my tongue with bare fingers.

I woke up disturbed. I didn’t even recognize the girl starring in my nightmare, but it was apparent that she knew dead animals were on my do-not-eat list.

It was hard to fall back asleep after that. I kept seeing the evil girl’s smile as she revealed the mystery food in my mouth. In my restlessness, my imagination fluttered from there into a story that’s been begging to be written for awhile now.

It’s a story I don’t really want to write, but it continues to plague me nevertheless. It’s a dark, dystopian story where humans are slaves to an alien race.

Did you know that when you’re reading a book or watching a movie, your brain affects your body in the same way it would if you were actually experiencing the events in that story?

In real life there are repercussions for what you do. In fiction there aren’t. I can pull on the skin of a tiger, hunt gazelle for a few paragraphs, and no animals would be harmed in the making of my story.

This is why I’ve turned to fiction recently. I feel a strong urge to inject a healthy dose of empathy and perspective into the world. As far as I know, there’s no better way to do that than with a story… nothing legal anyway.

P.S. There’s actually another reason I’ve been playing with fiction… for well over a year now I’ve been plotting (pun totally intended) a new podcast. I have big ideas for this show, but after way too much brainstorming (and not nearly enough action) I finally figured out how to start off simple and small.

The show will be called Art Ink, and each episode will feature art inspired stories. One short story and the one specific piece of art that inspired that story.

There are many reasons behind why I MUST create this podcast.

1. I’d love to connect art lovers to new artists in a way that only stories can, by creating lasting impressions with shared experiences.
2. There are so many artists who never write about their work… so I’m gonna do it for them!
3. I also want to help artists help themselves by offering inspiration and motivation to pick up a pen, and eventually, by giving them a platform to share their work.

The initial episodes will be super short to start. Somewhere between 5 and 15 minutes. This is so that I can ensure I have time to create new episodes regularly, but eventually I’d love to work my way up to 30 to 60 minutes. Maybe some of you will help me achieve this goal by submitting your art-inspired stories?

I know, I know… I’m getting ahead of myself. I need to focus on launching, then I can fantasize about an overflowing inbox of submissions. One step at a time Bek, one step at a time.

I can’t give you a launch date just yet, but as soon as I know, you’ll know. Promise.

P.P.S. There’s another exciting development brewing… so stay tuned for the next newsletter. I guarantee it’s one you won’t want to miss!

Are you an artist with a story to tell?

We'd love to hear your story on the next episode of Art Ink. Check out our submission guidelines to find out how to make it happen.