Last week I took a big gulp and deleted my Facebook and Instagram accounts. It was terrifying but I am happy to report it was the best thing I could have done. My only contact with people now are in person or by email or text, and I have found in-person people to be much more enjoyable than online people (unless they’re in a car). I’m reading stacks of books, listening to new podcasts, walking lots and hanging with friends. 

This means that you are seeing a lot less updates on the project, but I’m no less busy. I’m currently working on “Justin” in a Crossfit gym, which is a new and fascinating challenge. I had to go big for this one to accommodate the weight rack and space, so it’s turned out to be a physical challenge for me with reaching, climbing and squatting, as it should be.

In addition, we set up Sophie with her essay in the lobby of The Gloucester Stage Company for the run of “Cyrano,” directed by our friend, and Artistic Director of GSC, Robert Walsh.

And finally, I had the opportunity to meet with a new portrait subject for I Am More: Massachusetts to address a subject that is on the forefront of our minds here in Gloucester. Over the weekend two more lives were lost to the opioid crisis in our city. It was a priority for me to include the subject of opioid addiction in the current series of 20 portraits, and with the help of Lahey Health Behavioral Services, I was able to meet with an individual who deals with this subject on a daily basis, and was willing to share his story with me. I’m grateful to him for taking this on, and I look forward to sharing his portrait with you in the coming months.

To host an I Am More portrait display contact me at amykerrdraws@gmail.com. To subscribe to the blog for project and portrait updates, enter your email on the righthand side of the page.