As someone who was part of a team of creatives, business leaders, education institutions, and philanthropists, we all banded together in what can only be described as a midwife-of-a-situation to bring Rapid Growth, a solutions-based journalism magazine to life in April 2006.
Since that time we have had many creative folks work alongside of us as we sought to bring unique stories to our community but also those looking at our city as a destination for fun, relocated for work, or a place simply to call home.
And for nearly 15 years on each Thursday morning via your
email we have alerted you that there are a few stories of locals making something happening that we think our audience would enjoy. (And you have as we see our numbers still rising.)
As I look back on my role as publisher since 2015 and how much change has happened here, one area I enjoy in this role is the opportunity to talk to people in our community at all levels of our society. I am easy to talk with on almost any topic and always leave encouraged even when we don't agree that healthy dialogue is critical for our society.
So as we face an unprecedented time in our planet's history that is impacting so many lives, we decided to leverage our community-partners in dialogue to produce a series of stories that reflect our time together.
Please welcome, Kathy Price, freelance hair and makeup artist.
Tommy Allen, Publisher
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I am trying to find my strengths in this time of crisis and isolation as I am sure we all are.
Working as a freelance artist my entire adult life, I am used to navigating the world around me on uncertain ground, and have learned the dance it takes to survive and flourish. I am no stranger to set backs or side steps. Not knowing where I am headed from one day to the next. I have reinvented myself on the spot many times before. My life has never had structure. It has always been one phone call away from changing. It is no picnic at times and there have been many sacrifices over the years, but the freedom it has given me to explore, travel, and create my own unique path doing what I love has made it all worth it. Honestly, I don’t know how to live any other way but in limbo. So, I have that going for me. I am not lost without structure. My lifestyle has taught me how to self soothe and ground myself amongst chaos.
One way I channel creativity outside of my work is cooking. The sights, sounds, and smells of food being prepared excites me and takes me back to some of my favorite memories of my Grandmas in the kitchen, the heart of the home. They always had a pot of goodness simmering. That is how they showed their love and I believe I followed in their footsteps. It truly brings me comfort and joy and to be able to share that with loved ones makes it even more special.
We are constantly being told what we don’t have right now everywhere we turn.
I am here to say you have plenty when you look around. Take stock in what you have. In fact, making stock is a great place to start. Search for that pot of gold.
Stock is the foundation of good cooking. It’s a flavorful liquid made by gently simmering bones, vegetables, and herbs in water to extract their flavor, body, and nutritional value. It’s on the back burner of every Chef’s stove. The invisible element that takes the flavor of a dish to the next level and provides essential Rx to keep you healthy and strong. It is a great way to clean out your refrigerator and make use of all of the scraps you have left over from cooking collected in a bag in the freezer waiting for the big day. It’s in the back of the crisper drawers and the dark recesses of your larder. Food that many throw away can be transformed into a gleaming pot of liquid gold to be used in soups, stews, sauces and grains, or just drink it up steaming hot as a straight up elixir for whatever ails you.
While it simmers, pull out some of Grandma and Mom’s old tried and true recipes or a beloved cookbook that has been neglected since the internet came into our lives.
May the comforting smells wrap around you like a warm blanket. Something we could all use right about now. Be well my friends.
Kathy Price is based in Grand Rapids and has been living on the edge as a freelance make up and hair artist for the commercial, fashion and film industry for over 30 years. She has also been known to play with her food in artful ways from time to time.
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