If you’re reading this, there’s a good chance you’re interested in art, so I should probably start by telling a little bit about how I got started making it. Art has been a part of my life ever since I was a kid. (That may not the most original introduction if you follow a lot of artists, but it’s true so I’ll keep it.) I would spend hours drawing and dreaming of the day I would have my own studio. It was a beautiful dream, and I held onto it throughout my childhood.
Then life happened, and as I began making decisions about college and careers, I came to the conclusion that I should pursue something more “practical” than art.
Taking a Detour
But after switching majors several times, I realized that practical and I aren’t really the best match. Around this time my husband and I were in the middle of applying for his permanent US residency. I ended up moving to his home town in Michoacán, Mexico to be with him while we waited for his paperwork to process.
Life was so different there–no internet, no phones, no distractions. I could spend all my free time drawing and painting, just like I did when I was a kid, and I fell in love with art all over again.
When we made it back to the states a couple of years later I finally earned my degree in Liberal Studies. I’m still not entirely sure what I’m supposed to do with it. I also kept studying art on my own, always coming back to that dream of making art full time.
Living the dream (and trying not to roast alive)
We now live in the California high desert, which is funny because I’ve always hated the desert (I’m a beach girl). But the piece of property we bought has a certain charm. It’s outside of town on a little dirt road, and I can look out my window and see horses. Hopefully someday soon I’ll see my own out there. The sunsets are pretty great, too. They almost make up for the 117+ degree summer heat. Almost.
We also now have three kids, and because life wasn’t crazy enough we decided to homeschool them. That’s not something I had ever planned to do but it’s turned out to be pretty fantastic most of the time. I’m a bit of a nerd with a serious book addiction, so it’s nice having a legit excuse to read all day.
It’s definitely a challenge at times, but being able to spend my days learning alongside my kids while also having the time to dedicate to art is something I’m extremely thankful for. So while it’s not exactly a “practical” life, I’m glad that it’s mine.
I’ll give you fair warning: despite my best intentions, I struggle to stick to schedules, which means I can be a bit inconsistent with posting regularly. So if I seem to disappear at times I’m most likely not dead, just buried under a pile of laundry, books, and unfinished projects. The life of an artist can be messy, and combined with the life of a homeschooling mom trying to run a business things can quickly devolve into pure chaos. But I’ll do my best to keep things updated, and hopefully interesting!