Fellows’ Experiences
Fellow: Gary Eldon Peter
Residency Dates: 7/5/11 - 7/19/11
Discipline: Writing/Fiction
The natural environment of Hambidge was very inspiring to me. To be able to get up each morning, to look out at the woods near the Mellinger Studio, and to begin my work in quiet, was exactly what I needed to push my project further to completion. As someone who takes a very slow and deliberative approach to writing (sometimes to a fault!), I was surprised at how much I was able to accomplish each day, and to be able to see the pages “pile up” was very rewarding for me.
I found the time spent with other residents on the Rock House porch for dinner and conversation to be equally inspiring. We were all curious about each other’s work, and when it came time to share our progress through open studios and readings, supportive of one another’s goals and visions. In that way, I found my residency at Hambidge to be an almost ideal mix of solitude for serious work along with an opportunity to engage with a community of artists eager to discuss their own journeys in creating.