Gold Medal of Honor from the French Academy of Arts, Letters & Sciences

On October 11th, I’ll step into a grand Parisian hall to accept the Gold Medal of Honor from
the French Academy of Arts, Letters & Sciences. Can you believe it?

I couldn’t. But when I first read the letter, my mind didn’t go to gold medals or Paris. It went
straight to the lonely little girl I once was. The one mocked for her love of art. The one who
grew up believing she was too much, not enough, or both – because her creativity made her
different.

I thought of the sacrifices. The years of working until I was wrung out. The times dear friends
pressed money into my hands just so this platform could survive and keep helping artists. The
long seasons of doubt. The fear that – even after all this time – I might still “fail.”

And yet.

That little girl, that worn-out woman, the doubter who sometimes wonders if she is making a
difference in this world at all – she is walking into Paris to receive gold from an Academy
that has celebrated cultural contribution for more than a century.

Every sacrifice, every tear, every moment of doubt has already been alchemized into gold.

This honor may have my name etched on it, but it belongs to all of us. To every artist who has
walked beside me, who has trusted me, who has read these words or watched my videos.

When I stand in Paris on October 11th, I’ll be thinking of you. Because your belief, your
courage, your art—that’s what’s being honored too.

With gratitude,

Crista

Crista Cloutier

September 17, 2025