Hope Amico (she/her) is a visual artist, creative practice cheerleader and chief correspondent at Keep Writing, a monthly interactive postcard project started in 2008. Hope helps people connect with their creativity - even if they “aren’t creative”. She hosts collage meet-ups, leads workshops in creativity through drawing and book arts, and believes all people can benefit from a creative practice.
Does that phrase sound familiar? It should! It’s very close to the manifesto on my own website: “All people deserve an integrated life and the healthy pursuit of pleasure.” Just as I believe that pleasure is a fundamental part of the human experience, Hope’s work centers the idea that creativity is something we all do - not a static quality that only some people have. As a person who is chronically guilty of saying “I’m not creative,” Hope is exactly the kind of artist I’ve needed to hear from.
In our conversation, Hope and I get some really lovely cards (all reversed!) that prompt us to chat about the importance and beauty of failure, the relationship between creativity and pleasure, and why people need to hear artists say “I can’t draw” to realize that they are artists, too.
Tarot reading starts at 13:01.
Hope's website
Hope's Substack
@hopeamico on Instagram
@keep_writing_project on Instagram
On Deck is a podcast about getting out of your cards and into your real life, hosted by Haylin Belay. Logo by N.R. Moore. Audio production by Abject Abundance. To learn more, visit www.ondeck.haylin.co. Use code ONDECK for 15% off your first 30 minute reading or 60 minute lesson.
1.4: ...with Hope Amico of Keep Writing