March is a hard time to leave the farm, but a perfect month to decamp to the foothills of the Blue Ridge. When I left West Virginia and drove up and over the Allegheny Mountains to Amherst, I was unsure I’d experience the serene freedom so many artists wax on about when they go away to a creative residency. The hills that surround VCCA, after all, look a lot like the scenery I see near my farm.
What I underestimated was the benefit of intentionality–the magic that happens when a group of artists set aside their chickens and kids and grocery lists and book clubs and set aside time to create.
