It's a Journey

One of the many things you get used to in art as a profession is deadlines.  Show deadlines, commissions, market and now print deadlines.

After getting notification that me and my art studio will be featured in Where Women Create, I now have an 800 word creative journey deadline.  It's a difficult thing to put your creative journey into words.  I mean really....where did it all start?  How did you get here?  More importantly, it is difficult to write about yourself.

I have lots of super talented friends.  I decided to enlist the help of a friend that is a talented writer.  She interviews super famous people so I figure she could surely handle an interview with little me.  She is one of those people you love on site and would totally spill your guts to.  Probably why she is so good at her job.  She was all on board to interview me to help me put words to my creative journey.

We sat in the floor of my creative cave over a giant Jimmy Johns sandwich and I spilled as best as I could how I got here to this fun foam floor surrounded by my childhood version of a Wonderland.

Before she got here, I spent the morning preparing in my own way- Making something.

We talked about my childhood love of the outdoors and how it meant freedom and adventure

We talked about my 6th grade teacher and it made us both tear up

We talked about my friends and how they are the best cheering section anyone could ask for

We talked about growing up disadvantaged and how hard it was to catch up

We talked about how a creative spirit cannot be denied

We talked about overcoming tragedy

We talked about the moment you step out there and decide you are going to do it and how scary that can be

We talked about forgetting who you are along the way

We talked about getting back on track

We talked about giving yourself permission to be your happy, courageous, unique self

We finished with....What do you do when the haters come in?  How do you stay original while earning a living?  How do you reconcile the right brain and the left brain struggle?  

In the end, I think we found a journey.  It felt like we should take a shot of whiskey but a hug sufficed. Thank you Tammy Ragusa.....!!!!

My creative journey words work will be available here