How We Met
Serendipity, fate, call it what you will, Maia and I met in the least likely of places to form an artist collaboration— the check-out line at my local Stop and Shop. I had written a song—“Butterflies and Rainbows” and I needed an album cover. None of the pictures on my phone were suitable for uploading to the SoundCloud platform, and I had zero ability to produce one that was. I had noticed a few weeks earlier that there was one check-out line that seemed to move faster than the others. It was Maia’s line. A graduate of the renowned Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD), her long-term goal was to be an illustrator of children’s books. Wanting to get in and out of the grocery store as fast as I could, I started going to her register. Then one day last April, out of curiosity, I asked her if she was a college student at the local university. She replied that she was a recent college graduate from SCAD with a major in illustration and a minor in writing. She gave me her email and website information in case I needed her skill set or knew of an employer who might. I went home and visited her website. I was impressed with her creativity and the warmth of her characters. I sent the link to my son-in-law in New York, who is a documentary film editor. He was equally impressed. It was then that I realized I had a possible solution to my musical dilemma. I asked Maia if she would design the album cover for “Butterflies and Rainbows”. When she said “yes,” I was ecstatic because I knew that my dream of getting my song out on over forty streaming services was about to become a reality. Maia did an amazing job on my cover, and the song was successfully uploaded on May 13.
That’s where our story might have ended. But...since moving to Snug Harbor in 2014, I had envisioned opening up an artist studio in my retirement where I would write songs and poetry and perhaps collaborate with others with similar interests. For one reason or another, I never opened a studio, but I did continue writing poetry and songs. Every time I took a walk to the beach, rode my bicycle, or just stared out at the ocean surf, I had my phone. When inspiration struck, I started composing. Ten years later, I had quite a collection. I read a few out loud at open mikes in the area, and they were well received. I had always thought about how wonderful it would be to publish a book that my family, friends, and others might enjoy. So, I asked Maia if she would be interested in collaborating on a poetry book with me. When she agreed, we began meeting once a week to make it a reality. We found that as the weeks went on, we developed a good working relationship, and I couldn’t be more pleased with how her illustrations complement my poetry. Who knows where this collaboration will take us, but it has enriched my life, and I look forward to the journey.
