TGMS #002: Martina Hahn, Creating an Artistic Life in America
SHOW NOTES:
Martina Hahn
In this episode, I talk with Martina Hahn, artist, mother of three German-American kids, has lived in the U.S. for, well, longer than she lived in Germany. She came to the U.S. at 19, and has stayed here to raise her children and develop her own “home” here. Martina is an artist, a speed painter, and she now speaks to women about how to embrace their true value as women.
Here’s what we talk about:
-Teaching language to young kids
-Maintaining German traditions in the U.S., Christmas trees, Advent, refelection, etc.
-Feeding the animals at Christmas
-Being able to do whatever you want in the United States as an artist
-Facing cancer and living through it
-Choosing to live fully
-Not listening to people who say you “can’t do it”
-From not showing national pride to trying to understand patriotism
-Meeting friends in the US from countries that were enemies. Sharing cultural traditions and food.
-Not getting to be a part of the life of her extended family
– Martina’s favorite word in “Denglish” –her made up language of English and German.
Martina shares about how going through cancer affected the way she lives her life and led her to make choices and take risks she wouldn’t have taken before. She says “I decided from that moment on that it was time to live my life on the day that I was living. Not tomorrow, not three years from now. What’s important is right now.” She applied that idea to speed painting and began her career of painting around the world.
Great quotes from the episode:
On Patriotism: “I love it actually, it just sweeps you away, to be proud of the things that you are proud of…that was really fascinating to me.”
On feeling like a stranger wherever you go: “I used to think that it was because I was not a native born american. obviously I felt somewhat like a stranger in Germany–that’s why i left. But I also end up feeling like a stranger here because of who I am and what I am. I’m different. It doesn’t matter where I live. I’ll still be different. When I realized that and learned to love that about myself, then I was okay. It didn’t matter America or Germany.”
On fitting in: “What you do in order to fit anywhere is you find like minded people, and you build your own tribe around you.”
On open mindedness: “When it comes to this ‘America is the greatest country in the world’ attitude, that is an immediate indicator that people have never lived in another country or been interested in another culture. Because it is a great country–I wouldn’t live here if it weren’t, but other countries and other cultures have amazing things also. Just being open to them makes you a lot more tolerant of any other people period.”
Martina speaks and paints at events around the country and overseas. For booking info, check out her website!
Find Martina at:
Facebook /
Here’s a video of one of her performances! Search for more on YouTube.
What’s your global story? What resonates with you from this episode? How do you stay connected with family while living apart? What challenges have you had to overcome that have made you stronger?
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