I have this vision of a photograph of me when I am 7 years old, sitting barefoot on the stairs in our home in one of my favorite flowered dresses, my dark hair pulled back in a pony tail. I have a sketchpad resting on my knees, which I am holding with one hand, while my other hand cradles a pencil at the ready. Of course, I'm smiling.
I loved drawing from the get-go. Right outta the shoot. Or for as long as I can remember. It followed me to college where I finally decided to be a graphic designer (or Commercial Artist as it was called back in the day) where I could use my love of images and snazzy fonts.
Post-ed, came my first design job (pre-Mac or pre-doing-anything-on-a-computer), which then seamlessly led to corporate marketing departments, and working alongside an ad agency in a large mid-western city. I never felt like I belonged in that world. I always felt like the small kid in a big chair.
Years...then, married life and motherhood where I found inexplicable joy in watching my daughter and stepsons grow into the beautiful people they are now. I'm not gonna lie. I think I loved coloring more than anyone else. And cutting sandwiches and pancakes into fun shapes - yay, food art! (Oh, wait! And the school projects!) Loved. It. All. Wouldn't. Change. A. Second. Of. It. Ever.
Somewhere, and through no one's fault, maybe not even my own - in the midst of it, my art got lost. Or I did.
In 2004, my life took the proverbial detour, and I was suddenly reunited with my creative side. The world split open.
I couldn't look back. It seems I was more Myself decked out in jeans, white tee shirts, and cowboy boots wielding a paint brush, visiting antique malls, and purchasing tons of ephemera. Hello, Life.
And I began again.
It's taken me this long (yep, 2015) to step into my brave place and put my work into the world.
Maybe I just needed to fall down a few more times, or the stars needed to align in just this way.
Or just maybe I needed to get rid of the fear and embrace what I love.
Regardless, I am here writing my "About Page", and I'm a little scared. And a lot excited.
After skipping through the customary years of school, and into college, I finally decided to be a graphic designer. The perfect world for my love of art and snazzy fonts.
Fast forward to adulthood. The real job as a graphic designer (before the days of the Mac or doing any design on a computer for that matter),
corporate marketing departments, and
working with ad agencies in big cities.
(I never felt I fit into that environment.
Always felt like the small kid in a big chair.)
And then onto married life and motherhood where I found great joy in watching my daughter and step sons grow into the beautiful people they are now.
I'm not gonna lie, I loved the parts where we colored, or painted, or cut food into a myriad of shapes.
(And oh, the projects for school! Ha!)
Loved. It. All. Wouldn't. Trade. A second.
Somewhere in the midst of that part of the story,
my art got lost. Or I did.
In 2004, my life took the proverbial detour, and I found myself back in a familiar place where my creative side was romping around in jeans, cowboy boots, tee shirts, and dangling silver
jewelry without me.
We became fast friends, and life began again.
It's taken me this long (yep, 2015) to find the bravery
I needed to get my work into the world.
Or maybe I just needed to fall down a few more times, or the stars needed to align in just this way.
Regardless, I'm finally here writing my "About Page".
And to be honest, I'm still a little afraid,
yet I couldn't be more excited.
I loved drawing from the get-go. Right outta the shoot. Or for as long as I can remember. It followed me to college where I finally decided to be a graphic designer (or Commercial Artist as it was called back in the day) where I could use my love of images and snazzy fonts.
Post-ed, came my first design job (pre-Mac or pre-doing-anything-on-a-computer), which then seamlessly led to corporate marketing departments, and working alongside an ad agency in a large mid-western city. I never felt like I belonged in that world. I always felt like the small kid in a big chair.
Years...then, married life and motherhood where I found inexplicable joy in watching my daughter and stepsons grow into the beautiful people they are now. I'm not gonna lie. I think I loved coloring more than anyone else. And cutting sandwiches and pancakes into fun shapes - yay, food art! (Oh, wait! And the school projects!) Loved. It. All. Wouldn't. Change. A. Second. Of. It. Ever.
Somewhere, and through no one's fault, maybe not even my own - in the midst of it, my art got lost. Or I did.
In 2004, my life took the proverbial detour, and I was suddenly reunited with my creative side. The world split open.
I couldn't look back. It seems I was more Myself decked out in jeans, white tee shirts, and cowboy boots wielding a paint brush, visiting antique malls, and purchasing tons of ephemera. Hello, Life.
And I began again.
It's taken me this long (yep, 2015) to step into my brave place and put my work into the world.
Maybe I just needed to fall down a few more times, or the stars needed to align in just this way.
Or just maybe I needed to get rid of the fear and embrace what I love.
Regardless, I am here writing my "About Page", and I'm a little scared. And a lot excited.
After skipping through the customary years of school, and into college, I finally decided to be a graphic designer. The perfect world for my love of art and snazzy fonts.
Fast forward to adulthood. The real job as a graphic designer (before the days of the Mac or doing any design on a computer for that matter),
corporate marketing departments, and
working with ad agencies in big cities.
(I never felt I fit into that environment.
Always felt like the small kid in a big chair.)
And then onto married life and motherhood where I found great joy in watching my daughter and step sons grow into the beautiful people they are now.
I'm not gonna lie, I loved the parts where we colored, or painted, or cut food into a myriad of shapes.
(And oh, the projects for school! Ha!)
Loved. It. All. Wouldn't. Trade. A second.
Somewhere in the midst of that part of the story,
my art got lost. Or I did.
In 2004, my life took the proverbial detour, and I found myself back in a familiar place where my creative side was romping around in jeans, cowboy boots, tee shirts, and dangling silver
jewelry without me.
We became fast friends, and life began again.
It's taken me this long (yep, 2015) to find the bravery
I needed to get my work into the world.
Or maybe I just needed to fall down a few more times, or the stars needed to align in just this way.
Regardless, I'm finally here writing my "About Page".
And to be honest, I'm still a little afraid,
yet I couldn't be more excited.