New Tricks

IN OUR COMMUNITY

More SourcePointers are taking on never-before-tried hobbies—and loving them!

On a sweltering day in early August, Carol Singer was thinking of Christmas cards. Specifically, she was thinking about the cards that she would send when the holiday rolls around this year and the picture that would be on the front—one of her own creations.

“It’s a winter scene and there is a lamppost and there is snow coming down, and there’s a cardinal on the lamppost and a sign underneath it that has my last name,” Singer, pictured at right, said. “It’s probably my favorite piece. I worked hard on that.”

Singer created the 16-by-20 artwork during a painting class at SourcePoint, and she’s one of several SourcePoint members who have discovered new hobbies and sharpened new skills among the wide range of classes offered there. Painting is just one class Singer has tried since she retired as a librarian at Bowling Green State University. “All of the arts stuff has been totally new to me,” she said. “I’d never done any painting except painting a wall since high school and never thought about it as something I would, or could, do. After I retired, I thought about what I wanted to do. The nice thing is, when you retire, you can be someone totally different. I started art classes and I’ve had a great time.” Singer shares the feelings of enjoyment and discovery with other SourcePoint members who similarly take on new hobbies or try classes for the first time. Joan Pearse, SourcePoint’s arts and education manager, said she’s seen many examples of people trying something new and enjoying it so much they get to where they want to volunteer and even teach a class.

“I have many volunteers who have started out in a class or group. Sometimes all someone needs is someone else to believe in their skills, to give them encouragement and a bit of direction or confidence, and a new chapter of that person’s life unfolds,” Pearse said. “It has been a wonderful experience to have members join in creative groups, then offer to become a volunteer, then teach a class or program or lead a discussion group.” Singer said she never thought she’d be much of a painter, but the classes she’s taken have allowed her to surprise herself. “Every class I take I learn new techniques. The New York galleries will never be knocking down my door, but I can paint things to put on my walls that I want to look at,” Singer said. Singer also gives high marks to the Scrappy Crafters group at SourcePoint, which allows participants to stretch their creativity to turn materials into finished products. “Someone donated more than 100 nice men’s neckties to that class, and Joan gave them to me to figure out what to do with them,” said Singer. “I had to learn different types of sewing. There are some incredibly creative people in Scrappy Crafters. It’s amazing what they do with the materials we get.” Along with the new skills learned, Singer said there’s another benefit to taking the classes at SourcePoint.

“Working on things like that gives you a sense of purpose, and you have things to look forward to,” she said. “I think other people would really surprise themselves if they tried something new.” Karen Hinkle could be counted among that group. A longtime flute player who retired in 2015 after 35 years as a music teacher in the Highland Schools in Morrow County, Hinkle decided to give another instrument a try.

“A good friend retired at the same time,” Hinkle said. “She passed away from cancer and left me her guitar. I started learning on her guitar.” Hinkle, pictured at left in pink, took lessons from Bob Claymier and said the chance to learn a new instrument came along at a good time.

“It happened when I really had nothing else to do. I had retired and my kids had moved away, so I had lots of time to practice,” she said. “I loved it. I just played all the time.”

Unlike playing the flute, where Hinkle said you play one note at a time, “all the notes are in there when you play guitar.” It opened a new world of learning music and she said it led her to learn “a lot of old rock and roll songs that I never knew before.” Hinkle is now a member of the Blue Limestone Project, a group that plays frequently at SourcePoint. “Those guys have played for years and I’m able to keep up with them,” Hinkle said. “We play two or three times a week. I never, ever thought I would be at this point. I thought I’d just play a little bit for myself. Marilyn (Clark, SourcePoint’s community engagement coordinator) has been a great cheerleader for us and playing with the group has given me confidence.”

Along with the fun, Hinkle has found an even deeper meaning in the music. “After I retired, that work was gone. I had family, and suddenly that was gone. Your life gets empty very quickly, and this just filled that space for me,” she said. “Close friends have come out of this.”

Friendship is an oft-cited reason why people love the programs at SourcePoint, and if they can learn a new skill along the way, so much the better. Karan Morford admits her billiards game won’t get her on the pro circuit anytime soon, but she and her husband, Dean, have a blast in SourcePoint’s billiards group. “Six years ago, I was out with some friends. Some of them played pool and wanted me to play, but I had never played,” Morford said. “One of my friends, Mona Reilly, said you should come and play at SourcePoint. Other than that one time, I had never played pool, but Dean and I started to play at SourcePoint and I think I have more fun than anyone there.” Morford said her level of enjoyment isn’t directly tied to her skill level—“I’m still not a good player, but I love it”—but is more closely linked to the friendships she has made.

“They pair you up and you may or may not know who your teammate will be. I really enjoy the camaraderie; the people are so great,” she said. “If you’re single, it’s a wonderful way to meet people and it’s just a nice place to have a fun time.” And Morford admits she has learned a little bit about billiards along the way. “I have gotten a little better at it; what I like about the game is the strategy,” she said. “You have to look at where your next shot going to be and what you leave for your opponent. But mainly, I love that you’ll find just about every type of person playing. I’m the gabby one.” It’s easy to find a variety of people at SourcePoint when it offers a variety of classes. Linda Hatmacher, pictured at left, said she likes to try new things and had to give the liquid stained glass class a try. “I was looking through the classes being offered and this sounded really exciting to me,” Hatmacher said. “I had no idea what it was going to be like and I just fell in love with it.”

Hatmacher recommends taking the class to see what it’s all about and said you don’t necessarily have to have any artistic ability to enjoy it. “Joan is very good at teaching the class and is open to questions and suggestions,” Hatmacher said. “The hardest part for me was deciding what color I wanted my flowers to be.”

For Hatmacher, one benefit of trying something new is the sense of achievement when you complete a project. “I never would have thought I could do it and didn’t even know there was such a thing as liquid stained glass,” she said. “But I liked the sound of trying something new like that.”

The satisfaction that the SourcePoint members get from taking classes and trying something new isn’t lost on Pearse, who serves as the instructor for many of the art classes.

“I love teaching. When someone understands what you are telling them and can see it right before their eyes, there is truly nothing like it,” Pearse said. “Whether it is in learning a new medium or technique in art, seeing how a photo can be stronger, or writing down their feelings creatively, it is amazing to be a part of that journey. Seeing members flourish, grow, learn, and become their best selves is amazingly awesome to experience. I am blessed to have seen this many times.” To learn more about the programs and classes offered at SourcePoint, visit MySourcePoint.org/EC. Jeff Robinson is the feature writer for My Communicator.