Why, oh, why am I starting a blog?

Short answer: Because my friend, Ashley, did it and so can I. Ha!

OK, here's the real story:

Art and beauty have always spoken to me. As a child I longed to follow in my mother's footsteps as a sketch artist and painter. Creativity is a part of my makeup and I always did well at things I tried.  When I was 9yrs old I wrote and illustrated a children's book. When I was 12yrs old, I won first place in cake decorating. I played around in different mediums-pencil, pastels, charcoal, acrylic paints, etc. 

As an adult I got crafty and tried my hand at sculpture, writing another children's book, and making bath and body products from scratch. Right about the time I was ready to launch my business I realized that making all that from scratch was not worth the time involved. And yet again I lost interest...not to mention money.

The problem with "doing well" at all these things is that I have very high expectations of myself, to the point that art wasn't just something to enjoy and it became...ick...work. I never found the creative outlet that relaxed me and that I was a true natural at, so I quit trying.

Now I work at The Art Institute in a creative environment with all of these super-artsy people. On top of that, my husband is a stand-up comedian and an culinary student, and my best friends are all creative in their own way. I'm SURROUNDED!!! My inner monolog sounds like this: "I'M creative, too!" and "I have something creative to offer the world...surely." Then I realize I sound like a 7yr old who didn't get picked to compete in the first gymnastics meet of the season. Hypethetically speaking, of course.

Now, rather than continue to whine about it, I have decided to TAKE ACTION! I AM creative and I miss having that outlet. Instead of overreaching, I have decided to start simple and accomplish a list of creative ventures I have always wanted to try, such as jewelry making and mosaics. There are also more domestic things I would like to learn, such as sewing (terrifying) and gardening.

By blogging about it, I hope to keep myself accountable to take action and follow through. My ultimate goal would be that, in addition to learning to express myself in different creative ways, I would also find at least one thing that I have the ability to truly enjoy and master.

I talk to the students that I enroll all the time about how important it is for creative people to have an outlet for their artistic side. It's time I practice what I preach.  My hope is that this blog will be an encouragement to others who have not yet unearthed their inner artist. Beauty really does matter.