We find ourselves bidding a bittersweet farewell to a steadfast friend who added finesse and richness to the writing on MilspoFAN. For the past seven years, Lisa Stice has volunteered as the blog editor for the Military Spouse Fine Artist Network, ensuring each interview is thoughtfully introduced and edited. Today, we acknowledge her contributions, efforts, and the impact she has had on our community.

My word for 2024 was synergy.

With synergy as a strategy, I am truly grateful for the collaborations, places, and spaces to share my #advocacythroughpoetry. Counting the many blessings through these highlights:

Artist and Air Force spouse Tiffany Brady shares the struggles of having to build a new art community with each PCS. Because finding fellow artists in a new location is challenging, it is important that communities like MilspoFAN exist to give support and aid in networking.

I like my creature comforts. That is something I become extremely aware of in the months surrounding a move. Since neither my partner nor I enjoy staring down piles of cardboard boxes, we decided we’d get the house put together and feeling cozy as quickly as possible. Our plan worked well. Everything felt better once we had a functional living space again. I spent a week painting my new craft room a deep purple color and getting art hung up on the walls around the house.

Since my last update, our family has started putting down roots in the DC area. Both of my sons are driving and in college. My husband has since retired from active duty and started life as a civilian. We currently live in northern Virginia in a city setting, which has been different from living on Air Force bases outside of metropolitan areas. I’ve found my exploring spirit again and have enjoyed walks with my dog.

While poetry's briefness fits well between the chaotic moments of life -- allowing for its creation and honing -- the reading and sharing of poems grows connections through a vast community. Milspouse/poet Kate Gaskin celebrates that community and continues to expand it in this month's interview.

Army (ret.) spouse and romance author Christine Roberts has had an extraordinary year, blending her passion for storytelling with her commitment to connecting with readers across the Southeast. Here’s a glimpse into what she’s been doing over the last year. 

For military spouses who are constantly on the move, finding your place in an artist community can be easier said than done. Painter / collage artist / milspouse Marie Martelly is now back in the U.S. Let's all give her a warm welcome to the MilspoFAN community.

As for me, I too have been keeping busy!  I have worked on a few new collections and made a lot of new work that I am really proud of.  I am still working with an art agent, and have had my best year yet in sales and licensing deals.  She has sold some of my work to big brand names like Hobby Lobby, and I got two licensing deals with companies that will be using my work on ceramic glassware, paper plates, tea towels and planters. 

England has been a very fun experience so far. There has been plenty of opportunity to travel, eat good food, and meet new people…

Being a military spouse has also given me the opportunity to see different cultures, and environments that I have been able to derive inspiration from. Whether that is other potters or new landscapes, I find inspiration in all of it. Through pottery, I have formed great friendships throughout the world and these friendships inspire me.

When I find a spot that calls to me, I improvise movement in that found space...

I'm currently working on my second children's book, which will be about a special weekend with my main character, Seoul and her Halmony. My first book, "Seoul Finds Her Talent," was both written and illustrated by me.

Cassie & Patrick Garber are partners in their life and their creative work. As an active military family, they share their love of reading and their pups in their latest book, The Littlest Hound.

These last two years have been a giant learning curve, with tons of mistakes  made along the way. With my second book being published later this fall and  several promising ventures ahead, I’m grateful to have given myself grace in the  missteps and for the confidence I’ve gained from the mistakes.

When you’re not “from” anywhere, how do you ever find a place where you truly “belong”? 

Army spouse and Polymer Clay Artist Bryana Mariko Manzano-Balilio reminds us that creating should always stay true to what brings us joy, and it is something that moves with us and grows with us through all the PCSes and beyond active-duty family life.

It always feels refreshing and brings a renewed sense of excitement to get busy with client work, as I truly believe creativity is a muscle that needs to be exercised through different mechanisms. While cooking may seem like a far cry from photography in the sense of creative mediums, I have found that creating in and of itself spawns more ability and desire to create!...

This was just the project I needed to break me out of my post-graduation funk- It had been months since I created anything much more than an imprint on the couch cushions…

Balancing the creative work with our military life doesn’t go away, but hopefully we can give ourselves grace when things slide for a while.