On falling in love...

I will admit it, I’m a little bit obsessed…with painting…with creating. I think about it constantly and look forward to going into my studio each morning in my slippers, with my cup of coffee in hand. 

On days like this, when I have so many ideas swimming around in my mind, I sit down with paper (college-ruled tablet, always), and a favorite pen, to try to capture my thoughts before they vanish with the day.

Today I am thinking about why I love creating art. What is it that draws me in and holds my focus, calms my noisy mind? Part of it is the magic of mixing colors to create subtle piles of buttery paint, it’s the glimpse of an idea, maybe a color, a gentle shape, a feeling that I want to try to capture. Maybe it’s the thrill of watching a painting come to life. Yes, it takes tons of practice, but it’s a never-ending journey, not a destination. And there are those moments when a painting seems to magically paint itself, and I’m just an innocent observer. It’s the challenge of finding the patience and confidence to get through the messy middle—the life lessons. And it’s also the thought of knowing that I created something with my own two hands, and a bit of my soul, that may get to live on in the world to make someone smile long after I’m no longer here…maybe that’s why I’m so in love. What could be better than sprinkling your soul all over the world, a little bit at a time, to make other people smile…