by Valerie G. Zartarian and Lauren Liecau
Editor’s Note: This pair of work is part of Follow Your Art Community Studios’ 6th annual Art of Words exhibit. For the exhibit, writer Valerie shared her poem “Beyond Ourselves” with artist Lauren, which inspired her paper quilling piece. See these works in person in the FYACS Gallery until November 7, 2026.
Beyond Ourselves
Lying in a meadow
Bewitched by the stars
I wonder at the galaxies
Beyond this world of ours.
We get so wrapped up in ourselves
That we forget to think
How vast extends the cosmos
Beyond our small earth’s brink.
Let’s feel true consternation
At planets, moons, constellations;
Remind ourselves that God’s creations
Include much more than man.
And when we feel that we have lain
Beneath the world’s most unfair curse
Let’s stop to think how small it weighs
In the realm of the infinite universe.
(Prompt) by Valerie G. Zartarian
A note about their creative process...
Valerie:
I wrote “Beyond Ourselves” many years ago and made just a few minor edits for this year’s Art of Words prompt submission. I thought this poem aged well and liked the fact that when I read it, my younger self reminded me what I figured out back then: “zooming out” for perspective on my problems is a helpful coping tool.
When I read it on the wall of Follow Your Art, I wished I had changed the last stanza to use “I” instead of “we” and “I’ll” instead of “Let’s,” to sound less preachy and not unintentionally minimize anyone else’s problems.
I felt honored to collaborate with Lauren Liecau and was stunned by her beautiful art response. It was an emotional experience to see her visual interpretation of my words that had lived in my mind’s eye, such as bringing to life the girl “lying in a meadow bewitched by the stars,” and images of the night sky and galaxies. Her attention to detail with paper quilling is remarkably impressive, and I enjoyed hearing about her creative process.
Lauren:
This was my first time participating in a collaborative creative project. It felt daunting at first, but it was remarkably fun to be paired with Valerie Zartarian. Val’s beautiful words in “Beyond Ourselves” really resonated with me and painted such a clear picture that I could visualize my response almost immediately.
I love the whimsy of paper quilling and getting to use little strips of paper to try to convey something that is so much bigger than us was a fun challenge. I played with the layout for a long time before securing anything to the page. When I hit upon incorporating different shapes and styles, like elongated tear drops to be shooting stars and dense multi-colored coils as far-off galaxies, it really came together. I had never done a figure before, but the person lying in the grass begged to be included.
My thanks to Val for trusting me to craft a visual interpretation of her beautiful work!
Lauren Liecau has dabbled in assorted papercraft and fiber arts since childhood. She keeps coming back to paper quilling for its meditative rhythm. Lauren works in fundraising and marketing at Follow Your Art and lives in Melrose, MA with her family.
Valerie Zartarian is co-coordinator of the Writers Studio at FYACS through its writer-in-residence program, and a member of the Author’s Guild and GrubStreet Center for Creative Writing. She is a mother, author, PhD scientist, and ballroom dancer. As a professional researcher with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, she published over 60 technical journal articles (details at valeriezartarian.com). She is now in the process of publishing her first novel, Trying, authors the Life Lessons from the Dance Floor blog, and is working on a personal essay collection.