Julie Kittredge

One series. Six makers. Endless ideas to inspire you all month long

Julie Kittredge

“To be a maker is to put a piece of your heart out into the world, either publicly or privately. Making is an avenue of self-expression for most creatives and is usually influenced either by what the maker believes is beautiful, or a desire to fill a gap or need that is unmet.” –Julie Kittredge

For five years, Julie Kittredge worked closely with the Arlington Heights’ business community as the library’s business services advisor. Applying her expertise in marketing and social media, Kittredge mentored countless entrepreneurs and businesses on how to start and grow their enterprises. Then in 2016, Kittredge heeded her own advice, “Life’s too short not to be doing what your heart is calling you to do,” and left her role at the library to pursue her longtime passion—ceramics art.

Today, she works up to six hours a day in her Mount Prospect studio creating beautiful one of a kind pottery and devotes additional hours to the entrepreneurial art of growing a creative-based business. “I can throw about 18 pieces at a time before my body and back need a break,” said Kittredge when asked to describe a typical day, “but I might also be trimming and cleaning up pieces that were thrown the day before, loading and unloading the kiln or glazing. Sometimes I’m photographing items for the website, listing items in my online shop, writing my monthly newsletter or connecting with my jk ceramics friends on Instagram.”

On Monday, January 25, Kittredge will once again share her expertise when she returns as the featured presenter in our Meet the Makers series, 6–6:45 p.m. on Zoom. She gave us a preview of her upcoming program on pursuing an artistic passion and what it means to be a maker.

What is the most gratifying part of being an artist and maker?

There are two elements I find most gratifying. First, and perhaps the most obvious, is the First, and perhaps the most obvious, is the process of creating. I think most artists would process of creating. I think most artists would agree that it’s the process that we get lost in. agree that it’s the process that we get lost in. The simple act of creating, and adding, and The simple act of creating, and adding, and subtracting inside “the zone” where we get subtracting inside “the zone” where we get lost in the hands-on evolution of a project. Second, I love the exhilaration of being inspired by something or someone. I Maker program in January?

love appreciating beauty and incorporating what I love into my projects. My hope is that anyone who

What do you want your pottery to provide or convey to people?

I want my pieces to be left on the counter and used on a regular basis. I don’t want my work to feel precious or fragile. I love the idea that people can delight in using beautiful items every day and spark joy in some of the daily routines of life. A beautiful mug used daily. A pretty cream and sugar set that gets used in a daily coffee ritual. A berry bowl full of beautiful fruit that gets left on the counter or taken in and out of a fridge. I want it to be simple, timeless beauty that can be enjoyed Where to you find your inspiration for your designs and colors?

I love nature and a modern/minimalist timeless beauty. I gravitate to colors that reflect the beauty. I gravitate to colors that reflect the outdoors or nod to simplicity. Perhaps one of outdoors or nod to simplicity. Perhaps one of the signature elements of my work is that I the signature elements of my work is that I love to leave the raw clay exposed. I love the love to leave the raw clay exposed. I love the raw beauty of the clay itself and I work to raw beauty of the clay itself and I work to make it a feature of every piece I make it a feature of every piece I make. Truly, I just make pieces that I make. Truly, I just make pieces that I would love to live with. would love to live with.

What will someone experience who attends your Meet the

every day in any decor. attends my program will leave attends my program will leave inspired to follow the nudges of inspired to follow the nudges of their heart-to not wait for the perfect moment to get the training, take the class, buy the materials. That it doesn’t have to cost a lot to get started. My hope is that people will walk through the fear of failure and get to the other side of creating whether that’s art, learning an instrument, learning a language, building a new skillset, starting a business, anything that calls to the heart and makes you one of a kind. There is no such thing as failure in this business, only learning experiences that inform the next step.

ADULTS Experience and discover.

Virtual Bingo! Sunday, January 10, 2–3:30 p.m. and Friday, January 22, 7–8:30 p.m. / Zoom

Join us for Virtual Bingo for adults. Registered guests will receive an email with instructions for picking up their Bingo packets before the program. Prizes will be mailed to winners after the program.

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Get your lucky charms ready! Register for only one session - space is limited. Parlons Français! (Let’s Speak French!) Tuesdays, January 12 and 26, 7–8 p.m. Zoom

Interested in learning, improving or maintaining your spoken French? Join our resident native speaker to grow your language abilities. All levels welcome. Parlons français!

Writer’s Ink Wednesday, January 13, 7–9 p.m. / Zoom

Join instructor Jacob Knabb the second Wednesday of the month for this facilitated meetup and critique. All skill levels and writing styles welcome.

Sunday, January 17,

Jim Gibbons PresentsJim Gibbons Presents 2–3:30 p.m. / Zoom (CC) Join historian Jim The 1918 PandemicGibbons for a rollercoaster ride through The 1918 Pandemic the 1910s, from World War I to the 1918 Spanish Flu Pandemic. Gibbons will describe all the ups and downs, twists and turns, fear, mourning and joy of the 1910s that will take you into the excitement of the Roaring ’20s. Closedcaptioning available.

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to you want redecorate

So You Want to Redecorate? Tuesday, January 19 7–8 p.m. / Zoom

Resolved to improve and love your home? Join us for an evening of inspiration and insider tips with interior designer Melissa Riddle of Honest Living. She’ll take you through everything from reimagining your floor plan and selecting furniture to the easiest ways to transform a room – rugs, textiles and the power of paint. She will share her top five design rules and answer your questions to help you find the best solutions for your spaces.

The Zero-Waste Mindset Thursday, January 14, 7–8 p.m. / Zoom

Learn how to reduce your carbon footprint with Monica Chavez. Re-energize your recycling practice as we explore the idea of a zero-waste lifestyle to form habits that are healthy for the Earth and ourselves in the new year.

College Knowledge: Test Prep at Home Thursday, January 14, 7–8 p.m. / Zoom

See page 12. COVID Conversations: Illness Warriors Tuesday, January 19, 10–10:45 a.m./ Zoom

Join our live monthly conversations with community members sharing how they have been impacted by and persevered during the pandemic. This month, Arlington Heights residents Jennifer Nebel and Cindy Harris will share how they have coped with illnesses during the pandemic.

These live conversations are recorded to become a permanent record in the library’s COVID-19 Story collection. Learn more about the project and submit your own story at ahml.info/c19stories.

ADULTS Experience and discover.

Creative Aging: Art with Alayne

Watch the Art with Alayne Dragon class video and do this month’s project. Then, join Alayne and your fellow art students from AHML in a meet up to share your work inspired by our class, or get advice from Alayne to complete your project and learn tips for upcoming classes.

Visit ahml.info/virtual_art to watch this month’s video class and register for a meet up. Art with Alayne Meet Ups Tuesday, January 19, 2:30–3:30 p.m. Tuesday, January 26, 2:30–3:30 p.m. Friday, January 29, 2:30–3:30 p.m. Zoom

Meet up registrants will be notified by email when their Create Kit with supplies is ready at the drive-up window. All three meet ups cover the same project. Please register for only one. Arlington Heights cardholders only.

Dann & Raymond’s Movie Club: Canine Stars - The Best Dog Movies

Thursday, January 21, 7–9 p.m. / Zoom (cc)

Join your favorite movie club from the comfort of your own home. Dann Gire, Daily Herald movie critic, and Raymond Benson, film historian and novelist, take their show digital! It’s a BYOP (Bring Your Own Popcorn) event, so grab your computer or smartphone, sit in your favorite chair and snack away as these two share film clips, cinema history, trivia and more. Closedcaptioning available.

Parents’ Turn: Creating a Vision Board for a Shared Vision of the Future Sunday, January 24, 2–3:30 p.m. / Zoom

Fine-tune your family’s intentions and goals and launch your creative juices in creating a vision board for your whole family.

See page 8 for more information.

Meet the Maker: Julie Kittredge Monday, January 25, 6–6:45 p.m. / Zoom

Join Arlington Heights-based ceramic artist Julie Kittredge live on Zoom to hear what she’s learned in her journey as a maker, how to step out of the fear of failure, get a peek inside her studio and an inside look at getting started in clay. You will leave inspired to step into your own dreams that make you one-of-a-kind. Bring your questions. This program is part of the Meet the Makers series. Visit ahml.info/makers to learn more and meet other Makers.

See page 14 for more information.

Friday, February 5, 7–8 p.m. / YouTube

Maybe you've read the books multiple times. Maybe you've seen the movies too many times to count. Now is the moment that adult muggles, witches and wizards have all been training for: Harry Potter trivia. Gather 'round the YouTube and prove your Potter knowledge!

This program will take place on YouTube. Form your own team at home, or play solo, and log on with a single device. We will be using the service Crowdpurr for this session. Having access to another device with internet access (phone, iPad) is helpful, but not necessary, to play.

Favorite Things: Looking Forward to 2021 Tuesday, January 26, 7–7:45 p.m. / Zoom

Join AHML staff as we share what books, movies and music we’re looking forward to in 2021. Grab your favorite beverage and meet advisors, librarians and collection pros who can help bulk up your to-read, watch and listen lists. Then share your own favorite things from 2020 with us in the discussion that follows. Financial Forecast 2021 Wednesday, January 27, 7–8 p.m. / Zoom

Certified Financial Planner John Daly will kick off 2021 with a review of the 2020 economy and market environment, a snapshot of where we are now and a forecast from well-known economists and financial analysts for the next 6-12 months.

ADULTS Experience and discover.

Winter Cooking Demo with Chef Maddox Thursday, January 28, 7–8:30 p.m. / Zoom

Spend an evening with Chef Susan Maddox learning about winter comfort foods ranging from soups to stews and learn some great culinary methods and techniques. Recipes will be provided.

Dungeons & Dragons: How to Dungeon Master Sunday, February 7, 2–3 p.m. / Zoom

Learn how to be the ultimate Dungeon Master with Emily McCabe. First in a threepart Dungeons & Dragons series. Each session focuses on a different game play manual, using the Player’s Handbook as a guide. Hop in and ask all the questions in this instructional meets Q&A series.

The Long Shadow: Film Screening and Q&A with Director Frances Causey Wednesday, February 24, 7–8 p.m. / Zoom

The Long Shadow follows former CNN Senior Producer and Emmy Award-winning director Frances Causey as she traces her family’s legacy of white privilege. Causey places this in the context of the history of anti-black racism in the United States that began with slavery and continues to impact our society today.

“Frances Causey’s personal journey in exposing her own family’s history of slaveholding and how the institution of slavery continues to have an impact today is both brave and incredible… a must see, over and over again!” - Yolanda Smith, Executive Director, NAACP Houston.

View the film between Friday, February 19 and Friday, February 26 at thelongshadowfilm.com/libraries and register to attend a live Zoom Q&A with the director on Wednesday, February 24. The Long Shadow is also available through Kanopy and can be checked out anytime with an Arlington Heights Memorial Library card.

This event is presented in partnership with Racial Awareness in the North Shore (RAIN), Together is Better Alliance (TiBA) and a network of local libraries.

JOBS & CAREERS Take the next step.

JOB SEARCH During the Pandemic

Wednesday, January 20, 7–8:30 p.m. /Zoom

Job hunting during the COVID-19 pandemic is challenging, but that doesn’t mean it’s impossible. William Schrack of the Barrington Career Center will outline how to conduct a successful job search with proven techniques that have been proven to work. Learn how to set up your workspace at home, develop a plan, obtain support, maximize virtual networking and more.

Better Resumes for Applying Online Wednesday, January 13, 7–8:30 p.m. / Zoom (cc)

When submitting your resume online, it may be screened by an Applicant Tracking System (ATS), software that ranks your resume according to keywords. Local expert Denis Curtin will offer recommendations for making your resume ATS-friendly and selecting the best words to describe your background. Closed-captioning will be available for this program.

BUSINESS & NONPROFIT Start something big.

SCORE Business Mentoring Thursdays, January 7 and 28, 9 a.m.–noon and Monday, January 11, 6–8 p.m. / Zoom

Learn from SCORE, the nation’s largest network of volunteer business mentors, a resource partner of the U.S. Small Business Administration. One-on-one small business mentoring by business experts who have experience in all aspects of business. Whether you’re just getting started or you’ve been in business for over 20 years, set up an appointment to discuss questions and strategy. Register at: northchicago.score.org/arlington-heights-library.

GENEALOGY Discover your roots.

Genealogy 101 Monday, January 11, 7–8 p.m. / Zoom

Family history research is one of today’s biggest hobbies, and 2021 is the perfect time to kickstart your new passion. This introductory class for beginners will go over key terms, first steps and helpful resources. Get ready to be hooked on your new hobby. Genealogy Resources We Love! Tuesday, February 9, 7–8:30 p.m. / Zoom

Swedish Genealogy Research Help Wednesday, January 13, 10 a.m.–2 p.m. Zoom

Virtual appointments through Zoom are available with genealogist Kathy Meade, who can help you discover your Swedish ancestors as you navigate through ArkiDigital and explore additional Swedish research resources. Half-hour appointments at 10 a.m., 11 a.m., noon, 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. Request an appointment at Genealogy Discussion Thursday, January 21, 7–8 p.m. / Zoom

Join the conversation! Attend this online monthly meeting to discuss genealogy projects and family history research and share resources. Bring your questions.

ahml.info/virtualhelp.

Looking for some fun inspiration to help you with your family history research? Our Genealogy and Local History staff and volunteers will discuss their favorite and most useful resources, including books, genealogy TV shows, podcasts, blogs and more. Participants will have the chance to share their favorites with one another.

From Land Records to Google Earth: Mapping Your Family’s Place

Monday, January 25, 7–8 p.m. / Zoom

Genealogists and family historians can learn a lot about their ancestors from land records. There are numerous sources that give our ancestor’s legal land description. Jane Haldeman will show us where to look and how to convert section and range into Google Earth to see how that property looks today.

ONLINE SENIOR CENTER PROGRAMS There will be no in–person library programs at the Senior Center in December. All programs require registration and will be held online on Zoom.

Book Discussions Register to join with other readers in lively discussions of our January book selections held on Zoom. You will receive a link to join by email one day prior to class. Call Senior Services at 847-870-3712 to request a copy of the book at the library’s drive-up window. Computer Interest Group Wednesday, January 13, 1–2 p.m. / Zoom

Novice and experienced computer users discuss current technology, exchange tips and offer advice for solving problems on PCs, tablets and smartphones.

Modern Classics Discussion Monday, January 11, 10–11 a.m. / Zoom

Discuss Colum McCann’s novel, Apeirogon.

Popular Books Discussion Wednesday, January 13, 10–11 a.m. / Zoom

Discuss Then She Was Gone by Lisa Jewell.

Film Discussion Circle Tuesday, January 5, 2:30–3:30 p.m.

Watch this month’s film at your convenience, then join us online for a discussion of Agatha and the Truth of Murder (2020), 92 minutes, rated PG; a practice session, help you troubleshoot any issues you have with sound and video and Fridays, January 15 or 29, 1–2 p.m. / Zoom Prerequisite: Learn Zoom or experience

fictional account of the 10 days in 1926 when Agatha Christie disappeared, causing a nationwide search. Borrow from the library’s Learn Zoom Fridays, January 8 or 22, 1–2 p.m. / Zoom

Library staff will assist you in joining a Zoom provide tips and best practices so that you can ZOOM too.

Host a Zoom Meeting

hoopla collection. using Zoom. Take your knowledge of Zoom to a new level. Learn to schedule, monitor, host and keep your Zoom meeting safe. Participants should have the Zoom Meeting Client on their device and have a free Zoom account.

Register for Senior Phone Programs Register for Senior Phone Programs Join our weekly phone discussions where we listen to and discuss short stories or share reminisces of past events and experiences. No technology other than a phone is required. Contact Senior and Accessible Services at 847-870-3712 to learn more about these programs or to register.