Life, Values & Legacy: Our Chat with Sharron Parker of South Durham, NC

Sharron Parker shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.

Sharron, so good to connect and we’re excited to share your story and insights with our audience. There’s a ton to learn from your story, but let’s start with a warm up before we get into the heart of the interview. What makes you lose track of time—and find yourself again?
When I’m designing a new piece, I lay shades of dyed wool on my daybed and keep moving them around; I can do that for hours!

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I have been a fiber artist for 45 years, making handmade felt wall pieces. When I started, handmade felt had recently been found in Siberian tombs, and some of us in the US were curious about the medium. It has proved to bean amazing medium for art, with endless possibilities of color, shape, and texture.

Appreciate your sharing that. Let’s talk about your life, growing up and some of topics and learnings around that. What part of you has served its purpose and must now be released?
I was raised to be an over-achiever, who studied hard, was responsible for numerous chores, volunteered in my spare time, etc. But now my sick cat and elderly husband deserve more of my time and attention. I need to slow down and spend more quiet time with them.

Is there something you miss that no one else knows about?
Art, my husband, and our cat are the center of my life, because my family is just not very present. It’s not that I regret being childless, but sometimes I envy people when they describe happy family gatherings.

Sure, so let’s go deeper into your values and how you think. Whom do you admire for their character, not their power?
Once a week I help the art teacher in the health center in a retirement community. She is amazing — listening to people who are ill, and/or losing their memory, skills they once had, etc. . She finds out what they can still do, and coaxes them to draw, paint, tell stories, or even dance.

Okay, so before we go, let’s tackle one more area. Have you ever gotten what you wanted, and found it did not satisfy you?
All of my 45 years as an artist have felt rewarding, with the freedom to be creative, success in getting into shows (with some awards), and being my own boss. But I never was “discovered” by a gallery that had a glamorous presence in the art world, and was supported by affluent customers. Until last year. Now I’m represented by that gallery, and nothing much has changed.

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