We were lucky to catch up with Star Trauth recently and have shared our conversation below.
Star, we’re thrilled to have you sharing your thoughts and lessons with our community. So, for folks who are at a stage in their life or career where they are trying to be more resilient, can you share where you get your resilience from?
I have often been asked where my resilience comes from. People see what I have survived and wonder how I’ve done it. At first I felt like it was a gift. I thought it just happened. That I just bounced back. This was because I had to do it from a very early age. I did not know I was doing something amazing, as a four-year-old, the first time I remember persevering.
I also remember being angry. The anger was difficult for me to digest as a small child but now I think accepting that anger is important. For various reasons people I’ve encountered feel anger is wrong or unacceptable. I think when they’ve experienced anger externally or internally it is inappropriate or uncomfortable so they avoid it. It’s not the anger, it’s what you do with it that matters. We can be fueled by anger and process through our anger in a healthy way to learn from it, not that I could understand that as a four-year old. Even as an adult, I can’t say that I am perfect when dealing with it. I’ve certainly acted out in inappropriate ways but the healthy way makes me flexible. Instead of snapping, which is unhealthy, we can bend.
This brings me to another tool I use in being resilient-flexibility. In a flurry sometimes I just have to accept it instead of fighting it. Yes, I will be blown around, but I won’t snap. I want to BE in the deepest sense of the word. Sometimes that means that I may be literally or verbally knocked to the ground while the storm passes. After, I can pick myself up, brush myself off, and begin to heal. That’s we’re being flexible comes in handy.
Of course, there are times to fight against a situation, but when making my decision I consider what or who I am fighting – is it worth it? Can I beat it? If it’s much bigger or stronger than I am and it usually is, as I’m probably fighting alone. That is how I stand again, that is how I become stronger, and hopefully gain some wisdom along the way.
I hope to share my experiences with anyone who would ask. No one should suffer alone. I hope to never be unknowingly next to a person that needs help that I could provide, even if it’s just a few words of encouragement.
A very long time ago I was stabbed. I had two choices; stay still or fight. Think about the damage one would cause by fighting with a knife in them? Having read this far you probably would not be surprised to know I stayed still. Of course it wasn’t easy I won’t even pretend that it was. Every inch of me wanted to fight, to move. Especially my mouth. I have a mouth that often gets ahead of the rest of me and does its own thing. That needed to be controlled in this instance, especially. Staying still was difficult it hurt. If he had moved to do it more than once I would have fought, but I think he was a demonstrating dominance and looking for a fight-an excuse to really hurt me. I did not give him that. This is another key, try to see and understand your situation. Read the room. It’s difficult and sadly takes practice. If you want to be the one left standing some battles aren’t worth fighting.
Finally, I sometimes have to accept that “it” is going to hit the fan and “it’s” going to hit me – all of “it”. There’s no reason to shower at the first bit. I usually see or feel the first of “it” and know it’s going to be messy. It’s impossible to clean up a mess while it’s being made, in my opinion. Recently, the “it” all hit the fan for me. My child was diagnosed with a health condition, I became a single parent, I became single, and was healing from major and minor side effects of cancer while still being treated for it. I had to take care of myself, grieve, and to be a good parent to my child. This storm was covering me in a thick layer of garbage. I had to gauge when it felt like it was letting up so I could start the cleanup, which has really just begun.
Because life isn’t perfect we all experience this at one time or another and hopefully want to stand tall and move forward after the problems and difficulties. Be kind to yourself, value yourself, if you’re spiritual lean into what you believe, if you can ask for help ask for it. Remember, it’s OK to be angry and to use it to your advantage. It’s important to be flexible. Sometimes we have to allow ourselves to be swept up in the storm to survive. I don’t mean a hurricane, in that case take shelter. Force yourself to be still if necessary, even if there is pain, and try to understand the situation that you’re in, wait till it all hits the fan before you cleanup and rebuild. I repeat, because I feel it’s the most important – bend don’t break.
Finally, if you have been through it and come out the other side, stronger and more wise and you see someone suffering like you did offer to share your wisdom and experience. Offer some support. I know how it is to try and master resilience on my own, it’s lonely, achievable, but not ideal. If I see someone going through one of the many things I’ve been through I approach gently and slowly. if they want a word, a hand, a prayer, some wisdom, I’ll offer it. Sometimes a person doesn’t want help, and that should be respected as well. I have come through it, I will come through it, and I hope you will as well.
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
Star Trauth is a contemporary abstract, artist. She received her degree in Fine Art Ohio, USA and continues to study related to her field. It did not please Trauth to recreate the created, she seeks to create her imagination. She states, “The purpose of my art is to reconnect me to my experiential roots and set them free in the work.” All material is recycled so Trauth is not the first to touch it, it passed through many hands before she gathers it together as new media and constructs it into her art. Trauth says, “I think this is why those who gaze thoughtfully into the pieces comment they want to touch or even taste the pieces, they are reaching back to those who were there before. We are sharing an experience, a history.” Her art has been curated into over 100 exhibitions including 22 museums in the last 10 years on 5 continents and countless countries. Her art has won several awards, including the Robert Rauschenberg Grant. additionally, her art has been published in many fine publications, and lives lovingly in the homes of many patrons across the globe.
Recently, I came through a season of cancer. I was too weak to form art in the signature practices I had created. With a lot of frustration and the help of a great friend I used digital media to create while I was bedridden. This became 50 pieces that will be in an upcoming solo show at The SiddhArtha Karmakar Art Foundation in June. Most recently, I was pleased to be included in the book, ‘The Cancer. Feminine; Art, Inspiration, and Truth’ by Purple Octopus Art LLC available at Amazon.
In July I will be in a group exhibition at the Elsa Victorios Gallery in Fort Lauderdale.
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
The three qualities that most helped me in my art journey have been a never-ending natural curiosity, always being open to meeting someone new which isn’t easy for me, and understanding failures often teach me more than successes. Study your craft and practice at it. Allow yourself to be proud of your successes but dig into your failures and learn something from them. Think about what you want your success to look like and where that is, go there, see what’s happening, learn from those who were once where you are.
Finally, don’t hide who you are or pay to be who someone thinks you should be. We all pay our dues and that’s not what I mean, I mean hone what you truly want to do and don’t let someone tell you that you have to pay to be who you are.
Before we go, maybe you can tell us a bit about your parents and what you feel was the most impactful thing they did for you?
The most impactful thing my parents did for me were to be explorers. We were nomadic and traveled the country, discovering, doing, and learning. This allowed me to see how different our country is and understand that as a country, it is not all alike. We spent a part of my early childhood living in hippie communes; the people I met there all taught me something different-things I would’ve never learned in a traditional home setting.. These while, wonderful, people, were from different places, walks of life, skill sets, that I would’ve never come across anywhere else.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.wethree.net
- Instagram: @_starsmart
- Facebook: Star Trauth
- Linkedin: Star Trauth
- Twitter: @startrauth
- Youtube: @startrauth3243
- Other: Bēhance Star Trauth
Image Credits
ustwo studios
