← Going Big! with Kevin Gentry
Going Big! with Kevin Gentry
Going Big with Art: How Polly Gentry Transformed Tragedy into Impact
00:30:48
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- [00:00]
Polly Gentry
Just listen to your heart and. And don't wait for it to come find you. You know, I feel like people just, you know, know these things about themselves and they wait, maybe somebody will see it or hear about it or something. But it's just like, go for it. Just go for it and listen to the little whispers that you may have. Maybe everybody could just think about, okay, what am I doing while listening to this podcast? And then they can think, wow, well, I could I do this so that could actually help people, you know, and just think about ways that that could possibly impact.
- [00:42]
Kevin Gentry
Welcome to the Going Big Podcast. I'm your host, Kevin Gentry, and this is the place where we celebrate bold moves and big ideas. Each week, I sit down with inspiring leaders, entrepreneurs, and change makers who are making a significant impact in their careers and in their communities. Whether you're looking to level up your leadership, pursue your passion, or just get inspired to take your next big leap, this is where those stories come to light. Now, if you're listening on iTunes, YouTube, or anywhere else you tune into podcasts, be sure to hit that subscribe button so you'll never miss an episode. Now let's dive in to what it means to truly go big. Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to today's episode of the Going Big Podcast. I'm your host, Kevin Gentry, and I have a really interesting guest today. You know, in previous podcast episodes, we've interviewed different business leaders and entrepreneurs, a lot of different visionary nonprofit leaders. Today we have an artist, but it's more than just an artist, as you'll see. And this is. This is just fascinating. My guest today is Polly Gentry. Polly is, as far as we know, no relation to me, Kevin Gentry. We just share the same last name. Polly Gentry is a Kansas based abstract multimedia artist whose work, which is characterized by a lot of vibrant colors and dynamic movement with a deep personal connection. I've really drawn the attention of audiences around the country, and she's featured in a lot of public and private exhibits. She's won a number of awards. How she became an artist is a story in of itself of going big. So, okay, why are we doing this in a going Big? Well, that's the first part is how Polly has used her passion and her gifts to really live a life of purpose and meaning. But then she's taken that a step further to go big with her art by tying it to some amazing stories and then benefiting people more broadly with that effort. And that's what we're going to get into today. But let me tell you a Little bit more about Polly and we'll start the conversation. So Polly was raised in Omaha, Nebraska, and grew up in a home where she was surrounded by the exhibition of creative works of art. Her father was a well regarded architect there in Omaha. Her mother was a skilled seamstress. They both expressed themselves in that creative way. Their home was full of great art, art by Picasso and Chagall. And so she was exposed to this and she was interested in it, but she didn't pursue her gifts until later in life. She was juggling a lot of life's responsibilities. She decided to pursue this, and as I say, her work is now nationally recognized. But what really got me is we ran into each other a few weeks ago, and as I told Polly, I feel like this was providential. I was at a reception and she was the first person I spoke to. And she told me this story of what happened in 2021 during the troop withdrawal from Afghanistan, and how when she witnessed what was going on, she was moved to express that, especially with respect to the 13 US servicemen and women who were. Who lost their lives that day and paid the ultimate price to express that through art and then to express it further by giving back to service men and women and their families. So that's the story today. But, Polly, I want to take this back to, to. To really your special gifts. Let's start. When was it in your life that you decided that you had this passion, you had this gift, but you wanted to do more about how to express it?
- [04:42]
Polly Gentry
Well, as you explained, I. I really learned so much from my parents just watching my dad sketching. He'd turn over the check at a dinner and, you know, just start sketching something or, you know, and my mother constantly working with her hands, sewing and whatnot. I just constantly was doing something with my hands as well, even as little as I was. And I really didn't even raising my own children. People would see me knitting, you know, on a road trip or, you know, needle pointing in front of the tv. And it wasn't until our youngest started driving herself to school, and I then had another two extra hours to my day that I thought, I need to fill my time up. And I thought, why don't I take an art class? I've always been interested and I've never really given myself the time to do that for myself. So I signed up for art.
- [05:46]
Kevin Gentry
So, okay, there are plenty of people who then pursue. Not everybody has a gift for art. I there. It's a very small group of people. But you found that that was Your gift, your creative gift, and you pursued it. But most people who do that, you know, express themselves, but don't necessarily look for the sort of going, big impact, the much bigger impact. And I know that wasn't immediate with you, but tell us a little bit about the Flags of Honor series and the whole story behind that and how you saw the consequences of it.
- [06:18]
Polly Gentry
Oh, boy. Well, I took a lot of abstract classes. I felt very comfortable with, you know, making a stroke on a canvas and then letting it speak to me. And I quickly learned that my art became a conversation with the canvas. And so whatever I was feeling like expressing, I generally could get it out on the canvas. And so when we were watching TV and, you know, had Norah O'Donnell on, and we're listening and watching the horrifying pull out of Afghanistan, you know, night after night, I would sit there and listen, and at one point, I just started scrolling Instagram looking for these kids that died. As the name started to filter out, I thought, I'm gonna go find them on Instagram. So then I'd read their whole Instagram story, and then I started seeing that they were friends. I'd see, you know, I'm like, wait, there's, you know, Hunter in her pictures and, you know, or something. And it really got to me. And then you'd start reading family writing on their posts, even though they're past about, you know, their grief and their sadness. And so at one point, I think it was in the first week that I thought, I've got to do something. I've got to paint some flags. I just feel like, you know, I had painted a lot of flags through the pandemic and, you know, expressing my feelings. And so I thought, well, I'm going to go over the art store and buy 13 canvases, and I'm going to see what comes up. So I laid them all out on my floor and just imagined what Afghanistan must have looked like. You know, just the ugliest colors you could think of, and just put my heart and Soul onto all 13 at the same time. It was like one big painting. And then I thought, okay, I'm gonna. I'm ready. I'm gonna take each painting and I'm gonna, you know, just read about every single soldier I dove into. I found their obituaries, I found their family. I found their, you know, I said, their Instagram. Any article from their hometown I could find, I would read and understand more about them. And then I would just go paint the flag that I thought best represented that soldier at that time. And then I would take a story and put it on the back of each flag, and that's how all 13 developed.
- [09:04]
Kevin Gentry
Wow. Well, there's a lot more to this story, and I want to unpack that. But would you say a little bit more about. About art as an expression? And you've said this before, it's on your website, that for you, it's an expression of your soul. And that's. That's hard even to really describe, But I guess in some ways, for us, you know, if you learn to play the piano or type or things, that becomes riding a bicycle becomes personal knowledge. You don't kind of think about it. It just comes out. You do it. But for you, art, it's. It's a. It's a. It's an amazing expression. Tell us more about sort of how it is, in your view, an expression of your soul.
- [09:42]
Polly Gentry
Oh, it's a. It's about a feeling you get when you really start to have a conversation with the canvas. Like, you know, you can take all the classes in the world and. And everything, but when you actually make a stroke on the canvas and you feel that exhilaration, it's like, that was. Right. That was good. You know, that's what I wanted to say. And when you just let yourself get in that zone and do that, or when I let myself get in that zone, I should say, I think that's my most favorite time in the studio.
- [10:17]
Kevin Gentry
That's really amazing. It's awesome. So, okay, so you. You expressed your feelings about what you saw on that day and what these service people must have gone through. Through this on the. To the canvases. Then what. What did you do once the work was done? You have their story on the back. What happens with the art?
- [10:40]
Polly Gentry
Well, I think it was probably around, I don't know, the third soldier or something that I was painting. And it just came across to me, you know, public gentry, you should not need to make any money from the sales of these flags. I had been posting my process on Instagram, and I can tell when there's a momentum, and I'm. And people are saying they want to buy them, and I. So it made me think, oh, you know, I. I think that the money raised from this needs to go to a greater cause. You know, it certainly doesn't need to go to me. So I got to thinking about where. Where could I donate this money? And it occurred to me that there was. My husband was in a fraternity at the University of Kansas, and there's another gentleman, Lt. Col. Dan Rooney was also in that fraternity, and he has an amazing story through Folds of Honor Foundation. And I really loved his way in going big and what he's done for the military and first responders. And so I called him up and I said, I. Not. I called up the Folds of Honor foundation, not Lieutenant Colonel Dan. And I said, hey, I'm painting these flags. And it's, you know, I told him the whole story. I said, do you mind if I, you know, donate the money to you guys? And they're like, no, definitely, we don't mind. And I said, well, I'm going to mention you a lot. I hope that's okay. And they said, totally fine. And so that's what I did. And the Kansas City Folds of Honor connection let me know that they were getting ready to have their gala and that they would love one of those flags to donate or to auction off. And so I said, yeah, sure, that'd be wonderful. And so we selected the Nicole Gee flag for that auction. And I think that flag sold for $2,000 that night. And Nicole Gee was the soldier, if you're not familiar, she was the one that sort of was the face that they'd always show because she was carrying the child out from something. And anyway, she. That was a picture that I kept seeing. And. And so that's the one we donated, but all the others sold and all the money went to Folds of Honor. So I feel really good about that.
- [13:19]
Kevin Gentry
Wow. Well. Well, two more things. Well, first, and. And it's thanks to your husband that I've really gotten to know about Lieutenant Colonel Dan, and I've heard him speak subsequently, and he has his own going. Big story. I've got to get him on to tell that story. He's a extraordinary military pilot. But could you. Do you enough. Do enough about his story just to share briefly how he started the Folds of Honor Foundation?
- [13:45]
Polly Gentry
Well, I certainly won't do it justice because he's a pretty impactful speaker. So the. He was on an airplane flying somewhere, and he was sitting next to a gentleman who I believe was a soldier himself, and he was on the plane to escort his brother home who had been killed in service. And so the pilot came on, and this is so sad. The pilot came on and said he asked everyone if they could please remain seated on the plane because there was a fallen soldier who needed to exit first, you know, and so Lieutenant Colonel Dan and the brother were watching the whole procession out of the plane. And when they turned around, the aisle was full. People were pulling their bags out of the luggage bin completely could care less. And, you know, is like, what Lt. Col. Dan did, he just was like, that's it. I have to do something to help these families. And he made it his life's mission, and he's crushing it. You know, he's doing a great job.
- [15:11]
Kevin Gentry
He really is. And again, we're going to have to have his story. So on this particular story of your going big, there were some other examples of how people were really just affected by seeing the art, hearing the stories. I think there was an example out in maybe California, out in the desert. Any other stories that you might share?
- [15:33]
Polly Gentry
Oh, yeah. Okay. So the California one that happened at the Faults of Honor Gala, One of my friends came up and asked me if I still had the flag from the soldier from Indio, California, because they have a home out there. And he wanted to buy the flag and present it to his family. And so he bought the flag, it was Hunter Lopez, and he took it to the framer out in California and said. Told her the whole story. And she said, well, oh, my goodness, I am not going to charge you for this. I'm going to frame this for free. So then Larry found the family in Indio through the local Folds of Honor foundation. And they said, actually, in May, we're going to be having a golf tournament. Hunter's dad, Herman Lopez, is wanting to honor his memory. And so Larry said, well, maybe we can present the flag to him there. And so they did, and it was really a touching moment.
- [16:49]
Kevin Gentry
Well, Holly, I mean, it's. I applaud you because, you know, many of us are all caught in an episode like what happened in Afghanistan. We see it. We're just so traumatized by what we're seeing, but we feel powerless. And that you could connect your special gifts in a way and express this in a way that then had greater meaning and purpose is extraordinary. So. So now we turn to that part of the conversation where I'm going to ask you for some advice for our listeners. Because we all have gifts. God gave us all these unique gifts, and hopefully we can identify what our gifts are. You know, maybe they're in business, maybe they're in sports. You've identified them. In art, you have other gifts. Others have gifts for leadership. What advice would you give to anyone to really think about how they can act on their gift and go big? Just even through your personal story about how you did that by finally acting on your special gift for art?
- [17:50]
Polly Gentry
Oh, boy. Gosh, I keep looking for that same moment again for Myself, because that moment when it came over me was just incredible. And so if you ever, if anybody ever feels, you know, like, gosh, I could really do something about that, you know, to just go for it in any way, shape or form, whether you it's time or, you know, fundraising or something. But that was a really special moment. And every flag that I paint now still the proceeds go to the Folds of Honor Foundation. But I haven't really had, luckily a really tragic event like the Afghanistan soldiers for me to paint about.
- [18:43]
Kevin Gentry
Well, I have another question for you. When I was young, I did a little bit of art. I'm not very good, but a friend of mine and I got a booth at a local craft exhibition and tried to sell our art. And I think between us, we covered half the cost of the booth. You know, for those who have a gift for art, it's not a great way to make a living. People don't always appreciate what you've created. Any advice to those who are motivated or gifted in this way about how to think about making this a sustainable business, something that you can actually survive on?
- [19:22]
Polly Gentry
I've had a lot of struggles is being an artist and I think a. I share this with, with a lot of my co artist friends that I have. The business side of things isn't my forte and the marketing isn't my forte for sure. But it's just a matter of trusting yourself and being, you know, oh gosh, get help where you can if you, if you have somebody that can. I've had people advise me on how to manage my business side and that's been really helpful. And luckily we have Instagram that you can just, you know, post a video and that's like my best form of advertising. I don't have to really think about it. And so the more you share, it's shocking how people really gravitate towards it. So. And actually it was one of my followers who helped me with my business side of things. I asked my husband for help and he said, oh, I think it's a good exercise for you to learn how to do that. And I'm like, but no, it's really hard. But if you really just keep at it, it's surprising how the momentum picks up and you just keep going and before you know it, your accountant's kind of happy with you. Then you're like, wow, okay, I can do this.
- [20:55]
Kevin Gentry
Well, that's another good point. We always get this advice about persistence and you know, just keep trying, keep trying. It takes time to pay off and we don't always have that patience or even have the ability necessarily, if we're trying to support ourselves or family, to wait till that moment. But was there a particular milestone for you? I mean, how did suddenly yours begin to get so much recognition?
- [21:18]
Polly Gentry
Well, it was in my art class. I had two art instructors that I can think back to that were really the ones that. There was one who just encouraged me to have the conversation with the canvas. And then there was the other one who I was working on a piece of the pinned hearts that I do, the cut out little hearts. And he walked over and saw me working on it. He said, you know, you should enter that in the national exhibition coming up. And I was like, me in a national exhibition? You've got to be kidding me. And he goes, no, you really should. It's really good. And so I was like, okay. So I entered it, it got in, and the juror came up to me and he said, I didn't really know what I was looking at when I saw your artwork, but I knew it caught my eye. And he said, I couldn't understand what you were doing with the pins. And had I had a larger than a thumbnail to look at because they, as a juror, they only get, you know, a very small thumbnail to, to see the artwork that they're going to select. He said he would have given me an honorable mention for that. And he, he found that really unique. And so that was encouraging. And so then I went ahead and entered some more and won another award for a painting, an actual painting that was kind of a. An award for more of a newcomer and new artists on the scene sort of a thing. So that was fun. And it just gave me the encouragement to keep going.
- [23:02]
Kevin Gentry
Wow. Well, that encouragement is so important. But, you know, you mentioned your teachers and teachers and mentors are also so, so important to us all. This is, this is terrific. All right, well, what's. What's next for Poly Gentry with respect to this, to your, to your work?
- [23:22]
Polly Gentry
Well, I actually have a sort of a fashion theme in my next works, and I want them to be big. Really, really big. And it wasn't until we started talking that I thought of another thing I could do because I had sort of a Runway model thing figured out with my pinned hearts. But I got to thinking, why couldn't I do soldiers? That'd be so cool. So anyway, I, I know that's like super abstract talking and that people are probably like, what is she doing?
- [24:04]
Kevin Gentry
Well, you've. You've had an interest in I mean, in the United States and the flag, very patriotic from an early age. And so that. That's a part of your motivation, is that right?
- [24:14]
Polly Gentry
Oh, definitely. I mean, I was in middle school and I was wearing a POW MIA bracelet. I still remember his name, the name that I wore on the bracelet. I would write letters to him.
- [24:27]
Kevin Gentry
That's awesome. That's terrific. Well, Polly, I have a couple of wrap up questions. One I love to ask every guest. At this point in your life, looking back, what advice would you give a younger version of yourself based on what you now know?
- [24:43]
Polly Gentry
Oh, boy. I. You know what, what I did with my own kids is we, we had their aptitudes tested, you know, because we had had seen, you know, throughout our lifetime, friends who had gotten into a particular job because they thought it would make a lot of money or something, but they weren't happy, they weren't enjoying what they were doing. And so some friends had sent their kids to get aptitude tests done down in Dallas. And so we thought we would do the same. And I took our daughter down in 2013 and my husband said, why don't you get your aptitudes taken too? I was like, what do I need to know? And it actually helped a lot. It helped a lot. I told them I like to paint. They said I should sculpt. And I said, but I like to paint. And they said, you should sculpt. And it's because I have an uncanny 3D capability, I guess. And so that's where the pinned hearts came from. That's where. And that's where in painting, I'm always searching for the depth and the light. And I think that that's probably what helps. Maybe the paintings stand out.
- [26:10]
Kevin Gentry
Well, that's such a good point. And we all have gifts. We just don't always know what those gifts are and how to apply them. Well, last one first. If someone wants to check out your art, how can they do that?
- [26:27]
Polly Gentry
Well, I really try to put everything that I'm doing out on Instagram. It seems to be the easiest way for me to just turn a camera on in the studio and video what I'm making or talk about what I'm gonna do next. And so that's really where I connect the most. And that actually links straight to my Facebook page, which there's a certain. There's a large group of people that follow me over there too. And my website doesn't always have everything. It just has the things for sale. It's not kind of videoing the art process, which I've had, you know, a lot of people say, well, one case in particular, one girl was recovering at home from skin cancer surgery, and she said she was just feeling so sorry for herself and just. And the only thing that would make her happy was to just go watch me create art on my Instagram. And it just. That just made me feel so good. I thought, well, I would have never known, you know, I. That how that kind of impact people. So I. I really try to continue to share what I do there in case anybody else is doing the same thing. And I don't know. But anyway, so my Instagram and my Facebook are Poly Gentry Studio, and my website is polygentry.com.
- [27:57]
Kevin Gentry
Well, Polly, the last question is, and this is the Going Big podcast. I started this because just felt like so many people respond to a big, bold vision that's cast. And we know that, you know, Martin Luther King's I have a Dream speech, which came from his heart that day. You know, he pushed away the prepared remarks when Mahalia Jackson called out from the crowd and said, tell him about the dream, Martin. Tell him about the dream. And he spoke about that. When. When those kinds of big, bold visions are cast, people respond. And the whole idea is to inspire others to think big, to cast those big, bold visions, and to go big and act big. So what's your final advice to listeners with respect to your own life? How would you encourage us to think big and go big?
- [28:51]
Polly Gentry
Just listen to your heart and don't wait for it to come find you. You know, I. I feel like people just, you know, know these things about themselves and they wait. Maybe somebody will see it or hear about it or something, but it's just like, go for it. Just go for it and listen to the little whispers that you may have. And maybe everybody could just think about, okay, what am I doing while listening to this podcast? And then they can think, wow, well, I do this so that could actually help people, you know, and just think about ways that that could possibly impact.
- [29:40]
Kevin Gentry
Well, Poly Gentry, thank you for being my guest. I'm so glad we ran into each other at that reception and had the conversation. Your story immediately brought tears to my eyes. What you've done is extraordinary, just with respect to the 13 who are fallen in Afghanistan. So I applaud you for that. But thank you for going big and thinking big with your own gift. And thanks for being our guest today.
- [30:02]
Polly Gentry
Well, thank you so much. I really enjoyed it. So good to see you again.
- [30:06]
Kevin Gentry
Kevin, thanks for tuning in to the Going Big podcast. I hope today's conversation left you feeling energized and ready to tackle your biggest goals. Don't forget to subscribe and leave us a review on iTunes, YouTube or wherever you listen to podcasts. It really helps spread the word and it gets these inspiring stories out to more people. You can also find more content, resources and updates at our website, goingbigpodcast.com Remember, the only limits are the ones you don't challenge, the limits that you impose on yourself. Keep pushing, keep growing, and above all, keep going big. See you next time on the Going Big Podcast.