“My Art is my Therapy” Reflections on 100 Days with Spotlight Artist BJ Glanville

3/17/2025

Four weeks have passed, and it is time to say goodbye to the spotlight exhibit, “100 Days: Fabric, Paper, and Stitching” by artist BJ Glanville. In her artist bio, BJ cites a 30-year background in the textile industry. Recently retired, 100 Days was a way for BJ to challenge herself to get out of a creative rut and into the studio for 100 days, making 100 pieces of art in that time. She set criteria for herself, using paper and fabric from her stash, and then finished each piece with hand stitching. I sat down for a conversation with BJ, and we discussed a little more about her process, inspirations, and reflections on 100 Days. 

Embarking on a project of this size is no easy feat! To continually keep the discipline necessary to work towards a goal for 100 days is hugely impressive and takes more than inspiration to maintain. I had asked if BJ had any suggestions for artists who struggle to start creating. She related and said that that was part of the impetus behind her taking on the challenge.  

“I was having a hard time starting. (The project) has to speak to you—if 100 days is daunting, and you think you can’t do this, then pick a week! Or three days. Work within a range of comfort so it doesn’t become overpowering, or something to dread. You want it to be enjoyable. You can renegotiate to a range that works for you. It worked for me.” She also said that the success was partly owed to her decision to work in a smaller format. “Had I made them bigger,” she said, “it would have been totally different.” Even with this statement, she did say that after this process, she was interested in utilizing some of the methods she played with on a larger scale, but hasn’t started that experimentation yet.  

As far as advice on getting started, beyond setting goals for yourself, she suggests making your workspace comfortable! “Sometimes I have to clean up my studio before I get started,” she laughs, “though that can become limiting. I have found that sometimes I spend more time cleaning and getting myself organized than I actually do create.”  

Cleaning can be an act of discovery, too! BJ said that she found a box of lace that had been given to her, and played around with it, utilizing it in certain pieces.  

“It was something I hadn’t necessarily anticipated, and I did incorporate some of the pieces. I didn’t love it, so it didn’t get used a whole lot, but it was nice to have a little something different.” Going with the flow of creation seemed to be a large part of the process behind 100 Days. Even though the lace wasn’t her favorite, she still kept it in pieces instead of editing it away.  

For those that were able to view the show, the result was magnificent to behold. 100 pieces of art, all unique, yet all tied together. I asked BJ if she had a favorite piece from the collection.   

“I mean I love them all, I really love them all, every single one of them,” she said with a smile, “but I do have a favorite.” She brought me to piece no. 56—a striking yet simple composition. Two circles, the bottom filled in with an ombre of embroidery, and the one on top, a sunburst following the same ombre, flowing to the edges of the dyed silk, the antithesis to the circle below. It was a beautiful piece, the frayed edges of the silk meeting with the simple, torn edge of the white paper below. It had been sold, a red dot sticker proudly in the corner. BJ held it, looking it over, considering the piece.  

“It’s like the inside and the outside of each other— many people have asked me to recreate this one.” In our conversation, we discussed the difficulty of seeing art you have made go to a new home. The conversation had initially begun when BJ was telling me about a friend of hers that had recently purchased seven of the pieces!   

“I love the fact that I am going to see them again, because she’s a friend of mine.” She went on to say, “One of the things that I was touched by that (my friend) said was that they (the pieces) spoke to her about a journey. She said each one of them looked like a roadmap.” This journey was certainly tangible in the artwork and in the composition. Some of the pieces made right after another were very clearly in the same family, with similar materials used. Others were quite different day-to-day. BJ showed me a piece, one with darker tones and a red flower. The layering of fabrics and paper plays a trick on your brain, inviting you to look deeper and reconsider what you see at face value. 

When asked about how she sourced her materials, she had described some of the ways that she had collected them. Some fabrics, like the one in the piece mentioned above, were from things like a dress she had ordered but didn’t like on herself. She still loved the pattern on it, with the big red flowers, and as it was inexpensive, she decided to save it to be used for other projects. “This one was cut from that dress I mentioned.” She used bits of fabrics that she had dyed, and some she had printed on. The size of the canvas being small made it much easier for BJ to find uses for these smaller pieces of fabric and paper. She felt glad to be able to do her part in reducing textile waste.  

Another piece from one of the first days of the project featured what looked like gold chain curving across the canvas. She had asked me to guess what it was made of, after I pointed it out. I considered it, knowing it looked familiar…it was the edge of notebook paper that had been painted! The way that BJ spoke of the creation of the project seemed like it was a lot of fun and encouraged discovery throughout the process. Viewing all of the pieces in this collection was like a mix of a puzzle and an I-spy. So many different elements come together to create harmony. She has been surprised and touched by the amount of positive feedback she has received for this project.   

“They (the pieces) were put away in a box for a long time…and then to have them all out, this is the first time I have really seen them all in one place. It’s the fact that they are so impactful as a collection... I’ve sold almost half of them, so what is it going to look like when those are all gone?” In addition to the visual dialogue that has been created by the artwork, they also serve a purpose in part of a larger conversation: 25% of the proceeds from the works are to be donated to Seacoast Pathways. From their website, Seacoast Pathways mission is to, “support adults living with mental illness and/or affected by brain injuries on their paths to recovery while ending social and economic isolation.” BJ has said that art is not about the money for her. She talked about how important art is for her, and how it has helped her, and how she thinks it can help others, too.  

“What I started with was the whole idea that these pieces gave me so much joy when I was working on them, and I, like a lot of artists, get into a zone and just start getting so wrapped up in the whole process of creating the piece that the whole rest of the chaotic world goes away. Mental health(care) is a huge issue for me… for me, my art is my sanity, it’s my therapy.” 

The end of a show is always bittersweet. Of course, we are excited to see what’s next, but I think it’s important to remember to live in the moment– and to carry those reflections with you next time you sit down to create something new.