John C. Campbell Folk School, Brasstown, North Carolina

My artistic aspirations have always been literary. At 12 I started a novel with a central character named Melissa. That youthful ambition never made it to the finish line. I’m more of a sprinter than a long distance runner, metaphorically speaking. In college I took up poetry and completed a respectable body of work. Blissfully, poems can be made to fit a single page. They can be deep, requiring concentration such that you laborously carve each word, or you can spit them out fast, spinning words lightly across the page. The poetry phase was fun and helpful, grounding me at a precarious time of my life. But I don’t miss it.

Lifelong Creativity

There are so many different opportunities to be creative in life. I’ve developed the habit of trying new things -some blossom, some don’t. My ukelele is gathering dust. Sigh.

Folk art craftspeople are everywhere at my seasonal post-retirement gig playing the part of a 1870s country peasant woman introducing kids to life on the Florida frontier. In fact it was at Cracker Country that I learned about the John C. Campbell School as a mecca for the folk arts.

When I discovered that the school was directly in the path of my upcoming summer road trip, I figured why not pop in, take a gander around and pick up a craft? Cleo and I arrived, Tiny Tim in tow, to set up at the camping area at the school. I soon learned that the official campus “trails” were short, about a quarter of a mile on average. We took longer strolls through the 270 acre campus and Cleo romped in a field near our campsite. Most of the Campbell school students it turned out, were staying on campus in one of the buildings converted to guest quarters.

Garden Art Metal Crafting

I signed up for a garden art class that sounded like it might be a good fit because of my background with school and community gardens. Had no idea what I was getting into. The list of materials students were asked to pre-purchase, PVC pipe, copper cord, a face mask, leather gloves, and needlenose pliers, to name just a few, was exotic. The price tag for just the materials was about $125. With the $600 tiuition for the 4-day class, $263 for the meals, and the $40 a night fee to stay in the campground, the total price-tag for this little experiment was a budget-buster.

On the first morning of the week-long garden art metal works class, I found myself in a struggle with stubborn metal. My fellow students, many of whom showed up with big tool boxes of supplies, were sweetly tolerant when it became clear I was new to crafting. At one point I just owned my newbie status with a self-deprecating comment that I was the “special needs” student of the group. With kindness, my fellow students responded to my good humor by lending me a helping hand when they saw me struggling.

A pre-class email had suggested we bring items one might like to incorporate into designs, like rocks, stones and such. The student next to me brought gorgeous pieces of glass art. I had some old costume jewelry I thought might be fun to chop up and use in whatever it was I was going to make. Our instructor brought sheets of metal for making brass butterflies, birds, and rain chains for an extra charge. At this point I was in no mood to spend more cash. But hey, despite all the twists and turns, I tackled the experience with a smile and turned it into an adventure worth laughing about! My beautiful new friend from Texas, Sheryl Faust Morgan, made me a necklace that I treasure.

On my drive back to Tampa, I stayed with friends who are collectors of unusual decorative art, furniture and such. Terrie and Lise have just purchased a beautiful property in the Suwannee River area and plan to turn it into a rest haven for RV travelers. Fortunately for me they accepted my impractical rain chain that does not function as such. I’m most grateful to them for this and for hosting me in their new place on my return home.

About

All I will say about the history of the school is that it is fascinating and worth exploring. The website is excellent and I’ve no wish to attempt what would be an inadequate version of the story. Visit the well-documented development of this extraordinary place here.

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The Garden

I found the garden to be truly extraordinary. Cleo and I were frequent visitors during evening hours. Crops grown are used both in the meals served to students and staff as well as in the cooking and fiber arts classes. I captured with my Merlin Bird app the songs of birds I’d never heard before.

Conclusion

Anyone who knows me at all knows that I am not a patient person. And my patience was sorely tested while attempting to cut metal coil with flimsy saw blades that broke on average of every five minutes. I later managed to joke about the trauma of the experience. In those trying times, I dramatically vowed to myself that I’d sooner become a professional circus juggler than set foot in that school again.

However, upon further contemplation, I must admit that the prospect of taking a storytelling class does appeal to my love of writing. Would I stay at the on-campus campground? No. I’d choose one of the nearby campgrounds in the Brassville area. Would I sign up for the meal plan? Absolutely. The food was delicious and I enjoyed sharing meals with my fellow students. Who knows what the next summer escapade has in store for us? Perhaps it will lead us back to the John C. Campbell School after all.

About Me

Three years back, as an empty nester hitting 60, I started hunting for the perfect RV for solo summer camping trips. After trying out a few, I’ve finally found the right fit – the Aliner Scout Lite. Small enough to fit in my garage, easy to set up, tow and maintain, I’m thrilled with it. Check out details in this post: Crone Life, Solo Summer Camping Adventures.

On our Summer of 2024 Solo Camping Trip, we kicked things off at the awesome Winfield Campground in Appling, Georgia, a beautiful US Corps of Engineers campground. This spot was just perfect for some quality alone time. Definitely adding it to my “must visit again” list. Next, we hit up Sesquicentennial State Park and Congaree National Park in South Carolina, where we got to hang out with a good friend. Then, we made our way to Warriors Creek Campground, another top-notch US Corps campground in Boomer, North Carolina, which was conveniently close to Elk Knob State Park in Todd, NC, and Price Lake in Blowing Rock, NC. Our final stop was a campsite at the John C. Campbell Folk School in Brasstown, North Carolina, where I was taking a metal art class – an experience I’ll not soon forget.