We recently connected with Paula Borsetti and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Paula thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Can you talk to us about a project that’s meant a lot to you?

In the winter of 2013 my dear friends son was diagnosed with ALS. He was 25. From the moment of diagnosis I knew that the only way I could help was through my art. For 9 and a half years he fought this beast of a disease. I did all I could do to help raise awareness and funds. I had art shows, painted anything I could get my hands on, sold cards, made water bottles, started a business in my classroom. Anything and everything I could do, I did. But there were two projects that stood out for me. When I decided to leave my job as a full time high school art teacher I knew I wanted to create a large body of work that spoke about Bobby’s journey. How it impacted him, his caregivers, his family, friends, me. The fundraisers were helpful to be sure, but this body of work was more about introspection, healing and giving voice to words and feelings that Bobby could no longer express. The idea came to me as I was at the beach watching the sunrise. I thought about how the tide comes in and covers everything. We can not know what is happening below, but can only witness what is on the surface when the tide has receded. There is so much happening under the surface. That is where the treasures are. I asked Bobby for his blessing to work on this series and I would like to think that he was very proud of the work that came out of it. I created a body of work all related to his journey. Two of the paintings became designs on custom Birkenstocks as part of a collaboration with Michael Grey sandal factory. Only 60 custom pairs are made, 30 of each design and each has an ALS ribbon incorporated into the sandal somewhere. The paintings were shown in an online solo show in March of 2023 through Women Art United Movement. The show was titled “Tending Below the Surface”.

Paula , love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I was so fortunate to have divine intervention in my life that brought me to art school in the late 1970’s. I grew up in Beverly, MA., where I have lived all my life. For as long as I can remember I have had a love for creating. In high school I was a bit lost. Fortunately for me I was able to attend summer classes with Sr. Vincent de Paul in Ipswich MA with my good friend. When sister discovered that my friend and I didn’t really have post high school plans, she had us call the Art Institute of Boston and set up an interview for admissions. Armed with only our work from her program and a hand written letter of recommendation we were both accepted for the fall. I thought I was going to go into illustration and design until I took my first painting class. The moment the brush dipped in the paint and went on to the paper I knew this is what I was meant to do. I decided then that I would do whatever I needed to do as a vocation, but that painting was my passion. I held many jobs, grocery clerk, cashier, head cashier, office cashier, deli manager, meat dept. manager, bookkeeper…all jobs where my training to see not only details but big picture helped me to succeed. I learned technology because I wasn’t afraid to fail. I was open to doing it all.
I married and had my daughter. I continued to work several jobs, paint, take classes and made sure that I was active in my local art community. In 1994 I received a call that would change the trajectory of my life.
I was invited to apply for a position at our local high school. The president of our local art association was the former head of the art department in our town. They had an open position and asked her for recommendations and she recommended me!
I had 2 sisters who were educators and that path hadn’t been one I was seeking, but I took a leap of faith-along with encouragement from my sister and said yes.
That phone call and interview was the start of an amazing journey. I started teaching, I went back to school for my Bachelor’s and eventually Masters degrees. That call led to a 26 year teaching career. It opened me up to a lifetime of learning. I met some of my dearest friends. I discovered how to learn and to share that love of learning with others. I felt the joy in sharing that knowledge and seeing aha moments on peoples faces. I taught high school, college and adult learners in different settings. I found mentors and mentees. And I got to have my daughter as a colleague. So many doors opened for me because I said yes that first time, even though I was unsure and afraid, I trusted my gut instincts. The gift that becoming an educator gave me was the gift of making a difference. I know I made a difference in some of my students lives, but more important it gave me the the confidence to make a difference in my own life. I will always be grateful for my years of teaching and the opportunities it gave me. I will always feel the desire to want to share, to encourage, to open doors to possibilities.
As a teacher my passion came from my heart. I wanted all of my students to know the joy that being a creative can bring to life.
I made the difficult decision to leave teaching and to say yes once again to another calling. That was becoming a full time studio artist. I felt the pull that my teaching was going to have to come from my work as a painter. Teaching comes in many forms. I have gone from directly teaching in a classroom to teaching from my studio. My passion for being authentic, for sharing as well as my ability to generate ideas and make connections are some of my super powers. I love creating and I want it to be available to anyone and everyone.

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

This is an amazing question. I set goals all the time, daily, weekly, monthly, yearly. As I stated before I have been on a mission to raise awareness and funds for ALS for the past 10 years. When Bobby was freed from his battle with ALS I went into a bit of a tailspin. I had believed that I could do something to make a difference for PALS (people with ALS). I believed that somehow someone would make a connection between what I was painting and finding a cure for ALS. I wanted it so bad for Bobby and all the incredible people I have met having been associated with him. The strength and resilience I have witnessed from every person with ALS, their caregivers, friends, families, has just been incredible. But I couldn’t make that goal in time for Bobby. As a matter of fact I have never stated it out loud or in writing. Only through my art. Yet, I continue on. I know that as I continue to make work and clarify my vision that one day I will figure it out. I will find a way to make a difference with my art. For me, creating art is a healing journey.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

I can’t believe I get to work in my studio and create on a daily basis. I have materials at my fingertips that allow something to come into existence that has never been before. I get to feel the joy in gliding paint across the surface. I get to see colors mix and dance and uplift each other in new ways every day. I get to play to discover! I get to wonder and ask what if. I get to learn and to immerse myself in learning. I get to get upset and frustrated, to make bad art and on the flip side to make art that when I look at it I don’t even know where it came from. I get to be in the zone. Every day is a new discovery. I get to share those discoveries with others, both in person and online. I get to make art with my friends, family, students and especially my grandchildren. They will see me as a maker.
Social media brings me into the studios of creatives from around the world. I get to meet and greet with like minded people every day from all corners of the world. I get to bring beauty into the world. But mostly I get to share. I get to be there for others who may need to know they are not alone on their creative journey. I am so excited about the possibility of what might happen in the studio each day. I get to share that with my family and friends. And as is my mission I get to use my art to make a positive change. I may be starting small, one dot, one mark, one color, one person, but eventually that reach will grow.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.paulaborsetti.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/locuststreetstudios
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/10locuststreetstudios/