Aryn Henning Nichols

Working with watercolors, it seems, is a little like life. Creating something beautiful requires patience and practice. 

“When you paint a flower with multiple petals, you can’t paint the whole flower at once because you will have a big blob of messy color. But if you paint one petal at a time, those colors will go where you want them to,” says Viroqua, Wisconsin-based artist Anne Butera. “It took a while for me to learn that, but the more I practiced and painted, the better I got. I was building my confidence as well as building my painting skills.”

Anne uses watercolors to capture moments in nature and time, like spring blossoms and blades of grass growing in yards across the Driftless. Her delicate, detailed plant and petal images grace prints, cards, calendars, wallpaper, and fabric, all available through Anne’s online store/ blog, My Giant Strawberry. She also teaches online art classes and encourages creativity through a regular email dispatch dubbed the Joy Letter.

From the outside, Anne’s career looks like a steady string of artistic accomplishments. But the artist and writer explored assorted interests and directions before pursuing a full-time creative career in the late 2010s. As she navigated the twists and turns of adulthood, it wasn’t until she was 34 that she purchased some watercolors and taught herself to paint. 

Early explorations

Anne was a creative child who learned to love nature while playing in her family’s suburban Chicago backyard. She attended college in Ohio before landing in Cleveland with Matthias Minnig, her then-boyfriend, now-husband. Anne worked at an art museum, took some creative writing classes, held various library roles, and returned to school for a master’s degree in library and information science. 

After a few years, as she and Matthias talked about moving somewhere new, Anne also reconsidered her long-term career plans. Around that same time, in the fall of 2010, her parents bought some land near Viroqua, Wisconsin. They invited Anne to help them settle in.

“My mom and I moved and lived together for a year. We planted an orchard and raised baby chicks. I focused on crafting and started teaching myself how to paint. It was a very creative, inspiring time, but I was making no money,” she says.

Anne returned to Cleveland, armed with her renewed sense of creativity, and took a part-time bookstore job. She continued developing her painting skills and expanded My Giant Strawberry, a blog she had started shortly before that year in Viroqua. 

The title came from Anne’s childhood, when the fireflies, birds, vegetables, and flowers filling her family’s garden inspired lively fictional tales of a giant strawberry and pet giraffe living in the backyard. 

Insistent that the young dreamer recognize the difference between imagination and fact, a kindergarten teacher brought Anne’s stories to a halt. Years later, Anne wanted to reconnect with the fearless, wonder-seeking person she’d been as a child. By naming her blog My Giant Strawberry, Anne honored that curious, playful version of herself. Her early online posts documented creative projects and provided an avenue for connecting with other artists who shared inspiration and encouragement along the way. 

Over time, Anne started earning money from her art. She dabbled in fabric design. She submitted paintings for exhibitions held across the United States. Eager to trade Cleveland’s big-city energy for easier nature access and life in a smaller community, she and Matthias moved to Viroqua in late 2013.

And then, out of the blue, Matthias was diagnosed with cancer. 

“That just put everything up in the air again,” Anne says.

As Matthias went through treatments, Anne began working at the local Viroqua library and continued making art in her spare time. Matthias has since recovered and is doing well, but the experience reminded them to live in the moment. 

“For both of us, it highlighted that you really need to do what you want now because life is short,” Anne says.

Establishing a business

Painting, blogging, gardening, and practicing gratitude kept Anne grounded through the ups and downs. They also raised her visibility as an artist. A blog post listing joyful things sparked a similar weekly exercise, and that morphed into Anne’s Joy Letter email. Twice a month, her newsletter spotlights creative prompts, inspiring stories, project updates, and a mix of photographs, videos, and illustrated images.

Anne likens it to a note from a friend. “I just share encouragement and remind people to look for things that are joyful and beautiful,” she says.

In 2016, the online learning platform Skillshare contacted Anne about teaching art classes. She hesitated to say yes at first, because she was still mastering her own painting techniques. However, she realized that her blog already encouraged creativity. Teaching was a logical next step.

Anne now produces online courses that explore painting with watercolors, making block prints, establishing a daily art practice, overcoming creative challenges, launching an art-related website, celebrating the seasons through sketchbook activities, and more.

Rather than teaching participants to follow a specific painting style, Anne encourages them to overcome fear and embrace creativity.

“I want to reach people who were like me. Maybe they were creative as children, or they weren’t but always wanted to be, and now they’re thinking, ‘I’d really like to try making art.’ I encourage those people to get past the hesitation and just try,” she says.

That message inspired Karen Houlding, the Seattle-area artist behind the I Am Chasing Butterflies blog. After taking several of Anne’s Skillshare classes, Karen considers the Wisconsin artist an influence and a source of support.

“Anne really encourages play and experimentation and curiosity,” Karen says. “That action of play helps so much when you get into her more detailed classes, where you’re painting leaves, flowers, birds, or butterflies. You have more confidence because you’ve already been playing in your sketchbook.”

In her classes, Anne shares lessons that come from her own experience. 

“As a self-taught artist, I started out not knowing what I was doing. And yet, I’ve come very far,” she says. “If I can do it, other people can, too.”

Encouraging connections

Anne actively builds community through her classes and website, responding directly to questions and regularly sharing links to students’ work. Karen Houlding even met one of her closest friends through Anne’s class on starting a blog. While the two have never gathered in person – one lives in Washington and the other in North Carolina – they regularly schedule video calls to chat.

Anne also supports local artists as a member of VIVA Gallery in Viroqua. The cooperative, which is celebrating 20 years in 2024, relies on volunteer support for its exhibitions, events, and outreach.

VIVA member artist Mike Lind first met Anne when she showed art at The Rooted Spoon, a former cafe and event space operated by Mike’s wife, Dani. At VIVA, he has been impressed by Anne’s willingness to help. 

“We’re all very busy, and sometimes people are hesitant to put in a lot of time. But Anne came in and said, ‘What can I do? How can I help? Let me take this on,’” he says. “I sing her praises related to her work, but her overall message is equally as important and beautiful. It’s about being positive, looking on the bright side, and contributing to the community.”

Similar messages anchor each of Anne’s classes, blog posts, and newsletters. Embrace the moment. Notice glimmers of magic. Cultivate creativity. Choose joy over negativity.

“There’s so much in the news that is miserable, and it’s easy to get pulled down by that. I’m constantly reminding myself to slow down and see what’s beautiful in the world,” Anne says. “I love the quote from [Pulitzer Prize-winner and “Charlotte’s Web” author] E.B. White: Always be on the lookout for the presence of wonder.”

Learn More
Visit mygiantstrawberry.com to check out Anne Butera’s work, and to purchase gifts, register for classes, or receive Joy Letter emails. You can also see Anne’s botanical watercolors in person, displayed at Viroqua’s VIVA Gallery, located in the Viroqua Public Market at 217 South Main Street.

Community-building happens in all kinds of places. A church. A local café. A bowling alley. Even an old garage, like Ernie’s Station, owned by Ernie Johnson of Whalan, Minnesota. 

Ernie grew up in Whalan, a bluff country village perched on the Root River about four miles east of Lanesboro. He remembers the hometown of his youth as small-but-lively (the population still barely reaches 60) and filled with things to do.

“There were kids everywhere,” Ernie says, “playing ball, fishing, swimming, sledding in the winter. All the mothers in town were our mothers. All of us kids were like brothers and sisters. In fact, when we got into high school, Whalan boys wouldn’t think of dating Whalan girls. We went to other towns to meet people”. 

“If boys from other towns showed interest in Whalan girls, we made sure they knew we were keeping an eye on them. We all watched out for each other. Whalan was like one big family.” The town is also “family” in the way people support each other during emergencies (that nearby river has produced a few floods) and personal crises (benefit dinners are not uncommon). 

Ernie certainly enjoyed the benefits of a close-knit community as a young boy, and as an adult, he’s helped build it. For years he served on planning/zoning committees and claims to know town boundaries and property lines better than any surveyor. Having been connected to Whalan for more than half of the town’s entire existence, he’s a treasure-trove of local history and gladly shares those stories, often at Ernie’s Station.

The small gas station was first built in 1917 by Carl and Emil Severson, the construction partially financed by Emil’s pay as a World War I soldier. The station’s second owner in the 1930s expanded the building, and then Norman Larson became its longest-serving proprietor from 1954 to 1991. In 1993, Ernie, then working full-time in road construction in the Twin Cities, had the idea to buy it.

“I didn’t really need a filling station,” he says, “but I liked the idea of having a place to collect fun things you find in a place like that. I bought the building and when I saw something that fit, I’d buy it. That’s how ‘Ernie’s Station’ started.”

When he took over the building, it had four vintage gas signs. Today, after three decades of garage sales and old barn picking, the building is delightfully crammed with hundreds of automotive antiques, including his collection of vintage gas pumps with original glass globes. You also find unique tools, promotional sales banners (“Chevrolet – a Six in the price range of the four”), and oil signs from a variety of companies. “My favorites are from Tydol,” Ernie says. “The Nourse signs, originally from Kansas City, are special, too.”  

You’ll also find Whalan’s first telephone booth (its hand-crank phones still work), vintage maps and photos, and an honor-system pop machine. “I hoped people would enjoy seeing everything,” he says with a smile. “Turns out they have.” The Ernie’s Station guest book reveals visitors from across the United States and beyond (even New Zealand!). Car club members frequently cruise by eager to show off their classic rides and to visit with Ernie while he works on his own restorations. 

“I have my first car and my first truck,” he says. “Not many people can say that. I spent nine years restoring that 1937 Plymouth pickup. I got it in high school from my Uncle Sam Sethre and used it when I was trapping gophers. I wasn’t old enough to drive so I had to stay on his farm. Now the pickup is totally restored; I’m very proud of how it came out.”

Beyond Ernie’s Station, Ernie and Joan, his wife of 50 years, also played a central role in building another popular Whalan tradition (now on hiatus). “A few of us were talking one day about ways to promote our town,” he says. “We agreed an annual festival might help. Dave Harrenstein from the pie shop told us about a small Iowa town that held a parade each year. The town was so small the parade stayed in one place while people walked around it. A ‘stand still parade’ sounded fun – we decided to give it a try.”

Whalan’s “Stand Still Parade” became an amazing community-building event each May. In year three, CBS news showed up, and that national media exposure led to bigger and bigger crowds every year. People from all over fell in love with small-town Whalan. They couldn’t seem to get enough of the marching bands (stationary, of course), antique car displays, fire trucks, a petting zoo, lots of good food (including Norwegian goodies like lefse and rommegrot made by local Lutheran church ladies), craft vendors, family games, live music, and more.

“Joan and I directed the Stand Still Parade for 11 years,” says Ernie, “and worked on it year-round. Everybody in town got involved. My Station was filled with visitors all day. It really pulled our entire community together.”

Sadly, the pandemic brought Whalan’s Stand Still Parade to another kind of “stand still.” After 25 years, its future remains in doubt. It’s a reminder that while communities are built, they also evolve over time. “Many of our friends and neighbors are gone now,” says Ernie. “But there are still many wonderful things about Whalan. People love living in this beautiful place. Thousands of people bike the trail running through it, the Aroma Pie Shoppe is busy all season, and the Cedar Valley Resort is a popular lodging-destination. Whalan is still a lively place.”

That’s all true because of community members who value their town. People like Ernie Johnson. “The people of Whalan care about their town because they care for each other,” he says. “Like I said, this is family here. It’s always been that way. I hope it never changes.”

To learn more about Whalan, Minnesota, visit the Lanesboro/Whalan Chamber of Commerce at
www.lanesboro.com. To visit “Ernie’s Station,” make your way to 510 New St. in Whalan. As the sign on its front door says, “Open when here. Closed when gone!”

Patience: We all bloom in our own time.

I totally hated the phrase “late bloomer” when I was a kid. I had two cousins – both a little older and infinitely cooler – who said I was “just a late bloomer.” They didn’t say it with malice, but boy, did it sting.

Now, decades later, I want to tell that pre-teen: It doesn’t matter. As long as you’re working on you, you’ll get where you want to be – or where you’re supposed to be – eventually. Keep at it.

Of course, there are many things we’d tell our past selves if we could. The theme for this issue is a gentle reminder: We all bloom in our own time. All we need is just a little patience (thanks, Guns N’ Roses). I dive into this topic in my infographic, “Patience in Bloom,” which leads into our spring mental health article by Olivia Lynn Schnur. Olivia gives us tips for avoiding the comparison trap, so we can continue our paths at whatever pace necessary. Hint: We need to get clear on vision and values.

It was vision and values that led Anne Butera to art. The Viroqua-based artist taught herself how to paint with watercolors at age 34, and today she is a prolific artist, online art teacher, and the creative behind the website and blog, My Giant Strawberry. Anne’s gorgeous artwork is featured on this issue’s cover. Read her story on page 16.

Anne’s blog also inspired us to create the spring paper project: a Giant Strawberry Box! You can use it as a May Day basket, a favor box, or just because it’s cute!

We promise your name doesn’t have to be Anne, Annie, or Anni to be in Inspire(d) Magazine, but we happen to have all those names in this issue! 

Annie Coleman was inspired by the summers she spent growing up at her grandparents’ Golden Horse Ranch resort north of Madison, Wisconsin. Decades later, she (along with some great help from her friends) opened Red Clover Ranch in rural Soldiers Grove, Wisconsin, where folks can attend creative, enriching retreats, fun events, local dinners, and more (pg 48).

And last but most certainly not least in the “Anni list,” Anni Weilgart, former long-time Decorah resident and teacher, is featured as our Probituary (pg 66). Anni turned 100 in 2023, and as interviewer Lindy Weilgart says, “she has fewer ailments and healthier blood values than all of us.” I love the wisdom in these Q&As (see all of them here).

There’s a lot to be learned from our Driftless Community Builders as well. Ernie Johnson brings people together through vintage collectibles and cars – and with interesting conversation – at Ernie’s Garage in Whalan, Minnesota. In Decorah, Molly Holkesvik has taught, coached, and led students (and some adults) in various forms of self- and world-discovery for two decades through classes, theatre, and travel. 

You don’t have to travel too far to embrace the season with our spring ideas for fun, from peony picking to maple syrup sampling (pg 44). And speaking of maple syrup, you can learn about Iowa’s longest running business in this issue’s Sum of Your Business. We feature a Q&A with Jeni (Green) Melcher, the sixth generation of Greens to tap maple trees on their farm in rural Northeast Iowa (pg 56). (Fun fact: I grew up just up the road from Greens’ Sugarbush!)

We’re lucky to have so many cool things to do here in the Driftless. As you get out there exploring, watch for the various insects and arachnids move around again. You can learn more about the latter in conservation writer Craig Thompson’s piece on spiders (pg 62). They really are amazing (but still…shudder)!

You really are amazing too, readers! Thanks for joining us for another year of positive news! You’re the best. Read the entire Spring 2024 Inspire(d) online here, or see the story list below!

Looking forward,

Aryn Henning Nichols

In this issue, you’ll find:

Patience: We all bloom in our own time. Artist Anne Butera • Community Builders – Ernie Johnson – Molly Holkesvik • DIY Giant Paper Strawberry • Mental Health: Bloom in Your Own Time • 8 Fun Spring Activities • Annie Coleman of Red Clover Ranch • Sum of Your Biz: Greens’ Sugarbush • Conservation: Amazing Spiders! • Probit: Anni Weilgart & More!

Bonus: Welcome spring with our Spring In Your Step playlist!