Time has given me the opportunity to reflect. 

 

As a self-taught artist, I was the kid who had challenges with comprehending what I was supposed to learn and always needed extra help on the side - all the way through college actually. It was exhausting.  It wasn't until adulthood that I finally understood that it was never WHAT I was trying to learn that was the problem, but HOW I was supposed to learn.  I have come to understand that I'm a creative learner who needs to relate what I am learning with the world around me and then go out and apply it. This can be time consuming - not to mention it has led me down a few wrong professional paths at times.

 

In his book The Artisan Soul, McManus states it perfectly when he says, "Though we may create many beautiful works of art, the most important works of art to which we will ever give ourselves are the lives we live.  We are both works of art and artists at work.  At first, our soul is like a canvas where others begin to paint the portrait of who we are.  Slowly, as we develop and mature, we take the brush into our own hands and continue painting our own lives."

 

I believe creativity should never be defined by an end product.  We are all creative. Let's be honesty, any finished piece of artwork can be judged and thrown out with the trash.  Yet the beautiful process of creating is free, can never be taken away from you, and has the power to change your life!

 

​I grew up resenting being wired to create.  But, whether I like it or not, I am an artist.  Who says creative minds can't change the world?   There is no rhyme or reason for my artwork. There is no pressure to succeed with it. I'm not seeking out perfection. There are no guidelines or measurements for my potential. I just create, connect, share, express thoughts, and give back along the way.  Pretty simple, eh?​​​