We’re looking forward to introducing you to Amy Hoskins. Check out our conversation below.
Amy, we’re thrilled to have you with us today. Before we jump into your intro and the heart of the interview, let’s start with a bit of an ice breaker: What are you being called to do now, that you may have been afraid of before?
I turned 60 last October, and although it’s been a great personal year, I hit a wall in November, and realized I was overwhelmed.I let go of so many projects, and more kept popping up. I just kept letting go until I had three areas :: a youth garden class I teach, the short film of my novel, and my ongoing art therapy.
It’s been really hard to let go of things I used to be involved in. I have a good bit of guilt I’m working through about it still.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My name is Amy Hoskins and I am a writer and visual artist creating with disabilities from my home art studio in South Nashville.
Great, so let’s dive into your journey a bit more. Who were you before the world told you who you had to be?
I was born in 1964, right after the JFK assassination, and for the first 10 years of my life the Vietnam War was on television almost constantly, and definitely for the evening news.
I really identified with the super colorful and creative movements I saw going on back then, especially the musicians. I wanted to be colorful and vibrant, too.
I considered that I was and always would be a flower child, putting the flower into the barrel of a gun.
Was there ever a time you almost gave up?
Yes, twice.
I attempted overdose in 2000 and in 2011. I was in so much mental health pain, so much confusion, that I felt it would be merciful for me to die.
The first time I had no liver damage, so that was a blessing. I had to stay in an inpatient psych ward for 6-8 weeks, I don’t even know how long it was.
The second time they had to restart my heart. I remember the overnight nurse singing Amazing Grace to me all night that night. The next day, I couldn’t hear, talk, sit up, stand, or walk, for a good part of the day. As each sense came back, it gave me such relief and joy. I attribute it to my fear after the fact that I would be in a coma, or permanently disabled. That I lived, and walked away from it, literally, was true grace for me. A different kind of mercy.
Alright, so if you are open to it, let’s explore some philosophical questions that touch on your values and worldview. Whose ideas do you rely on most that aren’t your own?
For decades now, because of my mental and physical disabilities, I’ve been working on reducing repeat patterns or loops of thought, feelings, or behaviors. It’s not a perfect practice by any means, but I think the concept of mindfulness helps me in every moment, where I can come back to a graceful, peaceful center for a little while.
I’m also an informal Buddhist. I follow the concepts as much as I can. I especially love the ideas that compassion for self and others is a religion, and that the temple is everywhere we go.
Before we go, we’d love to hear your thoughts on some longer-run, legacy type questions. When do you feel most at peace?
When I’m with my husband our dog Gracie at home, I feel safe, loved, and loving,
When I’m in Nature, gardening all year round, in a park, in a forest, I feel more refreshed, calmer.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.amyhoskins.com
- Instagram: amyhokinscc
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/amy.jackson.3152
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCj8o4iIYs3hkQFh2bc5k2XA
