Hustle, Heart, & Community

Hello! It’s so good to reach out. Life continues to be full—the Year of the Fire Horse has been transformative, and I expect it to keep galloping into the summer. If you follow me on Instagram, you may have noticed I've been quieter lately. My collaging and taiko practices have taken a back seat as I work multiple jobs to make ends meet—being a working artist requires hustle. But creativity has found its way through: I've been substitute teaching youth art classes, helped launch another art exhibit, and working behind the scenes with Oakland Art Murmur to prepare for East Bay Open Studios. Life is full, and so is the flow.

Teaching is one of the most fulfilling—and challenging—things I've ever done. I have a long history facilitating and teaching learning spaces, but classroom teaching is its own skill set. I'm grateful to be honing it as an on-call substitute teacher at Redwood Day School, an independent K-8—and my alma mater (Class of '98 😆).

As a sub, I'm thrown into whatever's needed—Kindergarten, 6th grade English, Gardening, even Mandarin (which I know nothing about!). But my favorite is K-5 art. I get to lead a creative space and learn right alongside the students, sometimes bringing what I learn directly into my own work.

And when I was asked to teach a lesson on Notan—a Japanese art form—it took all of a three minute introduction video before my creative wheels started spinning. After a first attempt with the students (below left), a little research and study, and a willingness to take risks, I made a piece I'm genuinely proud of (below right). Look out for this form in future collages ☺️

Despite the hustle, I did still make some art to share with y'all! The opening reception for 2727 Artist Co-op's Street Encounters exhibit had a wonderful turnout. I’m learning a lot being a part of this co-op—it always pushes me to try something new. This time, I created a new collage and an interactive art installation. I was nervous about whether people would even engage with it—but the community showed up and shared so much!

Whether through teaching or designing creative spaces, art has the power to bring communities together. These last few months I've been working behind the scenes with Oakland Art Murmur to prepare for this summer's East Bay Open Studios—an event close to my heart, as it's one of the first places I publicly showed my collages. A year later, I'm now one of the people helping artists share their work with the East Bay community and beyond. Full circle. I'll still be participating too, but I'm excited to pay it forward.

Life is full, the hustle is real, but so is the joy. I'm grateful for every opportunity to create, teach, and build community—and I can't wait to see what the rest of the Fire Horse year brings. Hope to see you at East Bay Open Studios.

Cheers,

💜 Trisha

UPCOMING EVENTS

[FINAL WEEK] May 8-31 Gallery 2727 Exhibition: Street Encounters (2727 California Street, Berkeley, CA 94703)

May 30, 1-5pm East Bay Open Studios & Oakland Art Murmur Summer Block Party (The Orchard Galleries, 489 25th Street, Oakland, CA 94612)

May 31, 1-5pm Street Encounters Closing Reception (2727 California Street, Berkeley, CA 94703)

June 6, 11am Queer Taiko Performance at Livermore Public Library (Livermore)

June 13-14, 11am-5pm East Bay Open Studios (6050 Lowell Street #216, Oakland, CA 94608)

June 26, 6:30-8:30pm Pieces of Self Collaging Workshop (Oakland Asian Cultural Center, 388 9th Street, Oakland, CA 94607)