Page 9 - Voices April 2018

very cool.” In art school,
I rode a motorcycle daily.
I epitomized a strong

female artist with my
leather jacket over my
shoulder and helmet
by my side. Joining a

club that wasn’t about
motorcycling didn’t fit my
psyche at the time. About
ten years later, another

person again suggested I
join Toastmasters. I had
completely forgotten about it. I looked it up my oil paintings, where I was expected to speak
again, this time thinking, “Maybe that could be about my work. Without Toastmasters, this would

something helpful.” I didn’t find the courage to have been a nightmare. I wouldn’t have been
investigate. A couple years later, public speaking able to present myself in the manner I wanted
showed up on my radar again. I talked with to. After practicing my speech multiple times in
a friend who degraded me for not having an my club, I was able to present myself three times

elevator speech about my work. I realized he throughout the opening weekend in a relaxed
was right and decided to do something about and confident manner. I shared my story of how
it. I looked up Toastmasters again, for the third I came to make these unique paintings and how
time in fifteen years. I produce such impressive work. This exhibition

About six months into my Toastmasters will be visiting at least eight museums around
membership, I started to realize what a mistake the country, with a West Coast appearance at the
it was to ignore the previous suggestions to join. Haggen Museum in California.
Toastmasters has connected me with people Joining Toastmasters has brought me one step

who are tackling what, for many people, is more closer to realizing my goal of making pictures
terrifying than death, public speaking. These are for a living. I still have more work to do and
the people I have wanted to learn from, they more skills to learn, but my passion and desire
have become role models, friends, and teachers. to succeed fuels my quest for the combination

Each week I have the privilege of going to a place of this code.
where I can practice, fail, and also succeed, with My paintings will be on display locally in
supportive and positive people. I have learned the Clackamas County Development Services
tips and skills, from people in careers I know Building Lobby from April 12th to July 12th. You

nothing about, that help me manage my time can also find me at GuenevereS.com, and learn
and keep myself on track. more about my process on my YouTube Channel,
In March of 2018, I attended the world premier YouTube.com/GuenevereSchwien
of a traveling museum show featuring four of

VOICES! | APRIL, 2018 9