Connecting military spouses in the arts with each other and their communities
Military Spouse Fine Artists Network (MilspoFAN) is empowering military spouses in the fine arts - including dance, visual arts, fiction, theater, poetry, multimedia art, and more - to promote their work, tell their stories, and grow their artistic networks. The MilspoFAN blog started in 2016 and is run by a group of dedicated volunteers.
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Failing Forward with S. C. I. E. N. C. E by Siera London, USA Today Bestselling Author
Set yourself up for success with S. C. I. E. N. C. E., a group of principles identified by Dr. Sean Young, a behavioral psychologist, to help you stick with the behaviors that power lasting change through engrained processes.
Catching up with CJ Yeates
I’m proud to have finished a major creative project this year. We Leapt Into the Sky is my first science fiction novel, and I decided to share it as an illustrated serial. I’ve enjoyed improving my landscape drawing skills over the past few years, and I wanted to use this project to teach myself how to create better sci-fi illustrations…
An Interview with Melissa Whiteford St. Clair
New art adventures can begin at any point in life. Melissa Whiteford St. Clair found her voice through poetry after 30 years as a military spouse. This written/spoken artform enables her to promote social advocacy and expose racial injustice.
Thoughts on Transitions: Catching up with Krista Litz
I’ve realized that as a military spouse, the journey of an artist becomes a canvas in itself, painted with the colors of change, resilience and adaptability. Moving from one duty station to another brings not only a change in surroundings but also a shift in studio space, access to materials and artistic routine.
An Interview with Kate Paxton
I worked as a professional actress in London back when I was in my twenties. After 10 years, I decided to change direction and retrained as a teacher. When I was teaching in Singapore, I started directing children’s shows with a great friend of mine, and it took off from there! When I moved here to Panama City, I decided to see if I could continue directing…
Catching up with Stefanie Woods-Weakly
A year ago, when I shared about Abby Maddy, I was more excited than ever to be moving in a new direction with the company. We began in January with a build-out of a studio space in our home that would allow me to work while juggling our two teenagers’ schedules. But just as I was getting the studio settled, and beginning to work on the spring launch, we received some unexpected news. On March 30, 2023, I was diagnosed with breast cancer.
Healing from a Military Divorce through Writing
When we were younger we used to joke about the military divorce statistics – after nine years of marriage, we became one of them … Now my short story collection, Homefront, is about to be published by the University of Nevada Press, and it’s bringing back a lot of memories about those military years.
An Interview with Christine Roberts
… I suppose you could say, I have always been a writer. But my first novel was written more as an exercise to stave off loneliness while my husband was deployed. I have always loved reading — especially a good romance. But I wanted more than just the happily ever after. I wanted some action and adventure, too. So I started writing one drawing from my experiences as an Army wife…
Catching up with Atalante Shay
Wow, I can't believe it is time for my anniversary interview with the MilspoFAN blog, and so much has happened in just a year! Since my last post, I have landed an art teaching gig as a guest artist for the Anne Arundel Public Schools Art Magnet program- Apex Arts. But it was totally by accident …
Catching up with Matt Valverde
Thanks for having me back on Milspofan, it's nice to say hi again. Things have been quite frenetic for us over the summer. My wife Sylvia received orders to RAF Lakenheath in England and that required us to spend a couple of months living out of our suitcases on the road. We are finally settled down in the lovely town of Newmarket, UK and things are starting to get back to normal…
An Interview with Tracy Beagan
I discovered Surface Pattern Design as a major while I was there, and knew that was what I was meant to do… I never imagined myself as a military spouse. I had always dreamt of working as a designer in NYC… I met my now husband at a friend’s wedding while I was working in New York. He knew the groom from the Naval Academy, and I played field hockey with the bride at Syracuse. We were both from NY/NJ area. We hit it off right away and the rest is history!
Catching up with Megan Mioduski
My spouse is an airborne linguist, and just before the lockdowns, he was organizing language refreshers for the linguists in his squadron. But then the WHO reported these strange pneumonia cases from Wuhan. People around us started to get sick, and the Chinese linguists began worrying. Unfortunately, I already had a compromised immune system, and in March 2020, I got sick. Real sick.
Catching up with Maria Bennett Hock
It has been a while since I have been featured on Military Spouse Fine Art Network and I have been busy! My most recent showing was at the Salmagundi Club in New York City. I was accepted as an official Coast Guard Artist for their COGAP program…
An Interview with Kaitlyn Lake
Connected to the Air Force since birth, military kid turned military spouse Kaitlyn Lake shares a bit of her life through functional and artistic pottery. In a life whose landscape is ever changing, it's comforting to feel grounded by the lovely earthen pieces.
Catching up with Christy Tremblay
I've been secretly writing a book since last December, and recently started a Blog on my website to document the progress. My first post - Embrace in Place (Coming Soon) - was just added and I’d love for you to follow and share! I am self publishing and that is in itself an adventure!
Catching up with Kimberly Ratliff
To expand on sharing my mixed family Korean-American experience, I’ve started my next children’s book series for Seoul Finds Her Talent with A Weekend with Halmony.
The Ugly Truth: Catching up with Melissa Hedge
When I decided to start painting professionally, I scoured the internet for information on how to get my work out there and grow my business. I found tons of suggestions, but they didn’t explain the process.
An Interview with Lynessa Layne
As writer/Navy Spouse Lynessa Layne shares, life can certainly lead us into unexpected directions, but those strange paths often take us exactly where we need to be.
Catching up with Kellie Brummerstedt
My art practice continues to change and grow as I get older and develop new insights. With being a professional Dancer and teaching in the Hampton Roads area in Virginia, I am constantly around others who value the performing arts so it makes it easy to stay inspired and create. I am also finding how to integrate my art through other media as well. I am a photographer and have found my niche with dance and production photography.
An Interview with Lee Anne Gallaway-Mitchell
There is always more to learn and explore, especially when life sends us down unexpected journeys. Milspouse/writer/teacher/caregiver Lee Anne Galloway-Mitchell shares how PCSing, parenthood, Covid, and all sorts of life events can sometimes put a project on hold, but can also bring about new creative adventures.