One of the many spectacular parts of living along the Blue Ridge is the fantastic creativity of such a vibrant and beautiful land and community. At a school that emphasizes exploring multiple disciplines, many of Roanoke College’s students are part of that artistic community, whether through their studies or hobbies. This semester, I wanted to see what students like that could learn from other local artists. This week, (with the help of Iliana Martinez) I interviewed valley native Emma Kauffman!
Q: What are your primary artistic mediums, and what specifically draws you to them?
A: I’d say poetry and letter writing have become my main mediums as of recently. It all starts as an image that my soul wants to express. My first line of artistry is usually written which then inspires another form. For years, I’d rush to acrylic paint but have recently been exploring knitting and embroidery. The reverse can happen too, I can be knitting, when in that relaxed nervous system space, I have my best ideas for what I desire to express next in my writing. Writing, painting, knitting and embroidery have a way of getting me out of a head/egoic space and into my heart/soul space, where we all have the potential to source the Divine. Each medium has an element of expression that my soul yearns to share with the world.
Q: What parts of your life have most fostered your creativity?
A: Honestly, it’s in the painful chapters that my creativity sprouted. Creativity has always been a way for me to cope with big feelings that I didn’t know how to express. It was a safety net that caught me at the lowest parts of my journey. I quickly saw its importance in my life, and how it had this magical ability to connect me with something beyond myself.
Q: How did you come to the Roanoke area?
A: I was born and raised in the valley! While I have done a fair share of traveling, the Blue Ridge Mountains have a way of bringing me back home.
Q: What are you working on artistically currently, and what are the next steps on your bucket list?
A: I’ve recently started a Substack- Letters from Ms. Emma. This is where I write my latest life lessons to my students (prior to having babies of my own, I was a dorm mom to international high school students). At the heart of this project is to remind us that we are all forever learners in this thing called life. The world is our classroom and to approach life with curiosity for not just external experiences but inward exploration as well. I’d love to keep writing and bringing more poems to life through other mediums. Getting a book published would be a dream but I’m really not attached to any outcome except to awaken myself and in the process of doing that, if I can encourage another to live a more heart centered life, I’ll call that a win!
Q: What is your advice to young artists?
A: Don’t create to prove. Create because your soul is calling at you to do so. It’s calling you to write your love letter to the world. We are all prisms for the Divine to shine through. Shine your unique shades of color that only you can share.
Maggie Raker
Culture, Wellness & Lifestyle Editor
