We often think of artists as living in the visual realm of creativity. The writer uses an internal visualness. Bella Erakko simply drops into an interior landscape. Like gardening, she sees “plants of ideas” and sets about observing them, pruning them, and often weeding them out.

“I never had writer’s block. I think it’s because I don’t envision my writing as a profession. I write when I have something to say. Often,” Erakko laughs, “I have nothing ... so I don’t write.” Her first book, which she is currently resurrecting, covered electric cars. She recalls, “It was an early nod to the environment, coming with a quirky history. Henry Ford bought an electric for his wife after he built the Model T. An electric car company got royalty payments—its only viable asset—for every gasoline-powered car produced in America. And in the 1970s, an electric CitiCar sold in all 50 states. It wasn’t a Tesla. “Anyway, from there I commercially published two books on silence—perhaps more timely for these pandemic times. My favorite book probably is a spiritual memoir about my mother’s Alzheimer’s. Observing her closely, I saw slow transformation from body to spirit.”

Her most recent book, Finding Your Prayer, basically affirms that we all have “leaky boats”—places in our psyche that seem to misfire at times. “Creating your own prayer,” she suggests, “is like having a bail bucket handy … use as needed!”

Artists typically translate their inner vision into a 2D/3D world using paint, clay, fiber, glass, metal. Perhaps Erakko has the least expensive, most available tool of all: her fingers … and a pen.

The Alliance Art Gallery is spotlighting Bella's work during the month of April. Join us for an Open House on Saturday, April 10 from 1 until 6:00.