This is the story of how I got back into making art after I became a mom and stopped being creative.
I've always known that I wanted my vocation to involve making art. Whether it was designing decorative papers or fabrics, creating beautiful paintings, or maybe perhaps designing stunning lamp shades, I've wanted to create and share beauty since I was a kid. The margins of my school papers were often my mini canvases, filled with the distracting sketches and doodles that were far more interesting than most of class.
Fast forward a few years through community college art classes, getting married, and the pursuit of various business endeavors... In 2009, my husband Jed and I had our son, Jadon. What a gift! My focus changed, as is natural after becoming a mommy. In the busyness of caring for the needs of my little one, I noticed that getting time to practice my drawing and painting a rare thing, something akin to a precious (but unattainable) gem.
Over the course of three years, I found my skills slipping away. I still had an inner pull to create, but didn't know where to start after so long.
That's when I discovered the joy and freedom that comes from a cheap bucket of sidewalk chalk.
One day while my 3 year old son was playing on the playground of our nearby park, I started to make doodles with the sidewalk chalk we brought along. Since it was probably the only chance I had to create that day, I took it as a challenge to create something that would surprise and delight the next park visitors. I made a large design with curving spirals, radiating lines, and multiple patterns that flowed out from each other.
Over the weeks following, the park doodling became a regular thing. It became a meaningful thing. Kids started coming up to me and saying "Are you the person who did all those other doodles???" It was so much fun to see their face light up when I said yes, and invited them to doodle with me. :) I was invigorated with finally creating something again, something worth doing, something I could share.
When you know in your heart you were made to create, you must let yourself start somewhere. Don't look down on any starting point, because as simple as it is, it could be just what you need to flourish.
The art you find on this website is a product of letting myself start years ago, and then loving myself enough to keep going. Thanks for being here, and for being a part of my story. God bless.