“Chasing the Neighbor’s Cat” is from my ‘Dreaming’ series–Dry media on Arches Cover.
Like most artists, I grew up in a world of creativity. Whether visual arts, music, theater, or dance, I was always immersed in something from the art realm. Somehow, along the way, domestic duties pushed their way up my ladder of priorities, and ‘art’ became something I doodled on the back of a kid’s menu to entertain my daughter while we waited for our dinner.
A few years ago, I enrolled in a drawing class at Valencia College. I needed six credit hours to renew my Florida teaching certificate, and I thought it would be an easy A. It wasn’t. I worked hard for that A. My instructor pushed me so far out of my comfort zone I thought I might never find my way back. Maybe I wasn’t meant to find my way back. I unexpectedly awakened the fire of creativity in my soul that had dwindled to a glowing ember. Suddenly, passion was back, and it felt good. I would find myself lost in a drawing for hours, skipping meals and totally losing track of time. It was like my drawing instructor had handed me a map, and suddenly I knew exactly where I wanted to go.
This blog is the story of my journey back to creativity. I might have been lost for a few years, but I think I’m back on track now. And the good news is that I’m never afraid to stop and ask for directions.