Back in March, I made a switch in my business to be a full time art studio. Once the idea come to me, there was no going back. It felt right and it excited/scared me, so I knew it was the right decision. I had had my daughter in June of last year and found myself completely overwhelmed running a small business and missed creating, missed painting. So I spent the winter burrowing and brainstorming and dove into this new venture come spring.
My goal was to just paint when I could; during nap time, after bedtime, stolen moments in the day. I didn’t have a real plan. I just wanted to start regularly painting again. So I did. This led me to playing with figure drawing and my first collection,
The Motherhood Collection that launched in spring.
I did test the waters with art right out of high school and got a degree in Visual Arts at a local community college. There were some classes I enjoyed and some I didn’t and I didn’t have any teachers that left an impact on me. I was young, impressionable and played the comparison game. There were students better than me, more creative and out of the box thinkers. However, I was accepted into Mason Gross, Rutgers Art School, but settled on Journalism instead. I fell into the trap of believing the “starving artist” mentality and thought I’d never be able to make money in art. It’s one of the few regrets I have.
But alas, I ended up here anyway. Life has a way of shoving you in different directions, often times the right one. It’s up to us to take the path, to listen to the universe and its signs. I’m glad I listened to that little voice back in 2020 that said “you need art again”; painting and playing with watercolor, a medium I had never worked with before. I fell in love.
Working as an artist gives me the freedom to be present with my family and it ignited a spark in me that I thought was gone. It gives me something just for me as I navigate being a new mom and all that comes with it. There are days when the comparison game comes into play again but most days I’m just excited to pick up a paintbrush and get lost in some jazz and color; to be stretched and challenged and take baby steps outside my comfort zone.
My story is still unfolding as a working artist but right now I can’t help but feel...content. I’m playing the long game and want to do this for decades to come. I’m happy to grow slowly and hopefully my art resonates with the people who find me. I’m glad you’re along for the ride!
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