Weighing On My Mind (& my knees)

Weight is a topic I usually don’t like to talk about so openly, but today I hit a milestone and have decided I’d like to share my experience with you all – if you’re interested?

One of the few pics of me at Philip Island Jan 2015

Back in January 2015 Gav & I went to Philip Island for a break. When I looked at the photos from our time there I was quite appalled at how big I was – I honestly had no idea just how fat I had gotten and I deleted many of the photos out of pure embarrassment.

After Philip Island, I went to see my Doctor about my “dicky” knees, and she simply stated that I needed to lose weight. My first reaction was “Pfft – yeah right, I’m fine. Why don’t you actually look at my knees, not my bum?” But then I remembered the photos from Philip Island. Hmm, maybe it’s time to do something about this?

I have always been very “anti” the idea of dieting and have never dieted before in my life. I have always held firmly to the mantra that I am more than how big my butt is, and just because I am a “big girl” that doesn’t make me any less of a fabulous person, it’s what’s on the inside that counts, etc. (I’m sure you all know how the mantra goes by now). However, I was turning 45 that year, which got me thinking about the health risks my weight will cause as I get older, and my knees were so bad that I looked like an
old lady whenever I tried to walk up a flight of stairs because they hurt so bad.

Ok – so where do I start?

It’s simple – don’t eat more than your body is burning off in calories. Eat healthy food – we all know what that stuff looks like, and we all know that eating McDonalds regularly probably isn’t a good thing. Get regular exercise. Easy right? We all know this stuff? So, why don’t we all do it?

Fear. Plain and simple. Once I made the decision to finally do something about my weight, I found myself full of fear. So much so that at times it crippled me, and I was sure the only way to move forward was to eat a glazed donut. Wait. What? That makes no sense? Are you mental? Well, yes I am, but that’s another story – or is it the same story?

I was sabotaging myself all the time. “Oh stuff it, I can’t be bothered cooking, let’s get take-away tonight … again.” “Look, it’s just a danish with a friend at a café, would you begrudge me that?” “Mmmm – chocolate.”

I started to question why I was doing this to myself? I wanted to lose weight, but found I was giving in way to easily to my whims. Do you want to lose this, or not? Yes. Well stop eating crap then, and get your butt moving. The logic is there, but the mind continues to bypass it.

What was I so afraid of? Well, there are a few things, but really it boils down to failure. I was saying to myself “What if I try, and I fail? What will that mean? I’m a crap person who has no control over her actions and emotions? I’m out-of-control? I’m broken? I’m not good enough? Nobody likes a …” Yup – all of the above.

So, I did what I usually do in situations like this, I decided to torture myself by facing my fears head-on.

First, I decided to improve my perception of food. I wanted to reinforce, in my mind that healthy food is yummy and it makes me feel good. Junk food is rubbish and leaves me feeling like crap. So, I tried hypnotherapy. I took three sessions where we first discussed my weight, my relationship with food, my depression and emotional triggers, and finally, what it was I wanted to achieve out of hypnotherapy. Then the hypnotherapy itself focused on reinforcing positive thoughts and feelings about food and encouraging me to be more mindful whenever I open the pantry or fridge door.

I found it really helpful as the process is very similar to meditation, and being an avid meditation practitioner, I found it easy to get to a place where I was open to the helpful suggestions being planted. It had a really positive impact on me, and it ended up being where things really started to turn around. By doing the hypnotherapy I had put me in control of my weight loss, not my fears.

The “fat girl” in the picture

Another major barrier for me, that came up during my hypnotherapy, was the idea I had in my head that I have always been the “big girl”, and that’s just the way it is. In a group photo, I am the fat girl – there’s always got to be one, right? Well, that’s me. The idea that I could be thin was an impossible dream to me, so, how am I meant to attain something I do not believe is possible? Why even bother trying? Whoa – hold on there, tiger – that’s not a very helpful way to think, is it?

I spent the rest of 2015 working on improving my diet, increasing my exercise and challenging my beliefs about my weight. At the end of the year I had a visit from a very close friend who had also been working on losing weight throughout the year and she looked amazing. Her secret? Jenny Craig. It had turned out that she had lost only a couple more kg than I had that year (although over a shorter period of time), and she commented that she didn’t know how I did it, because the support offered by Jenny Craig had really helped her out. “Why would you do something like this, without some support around you?” It really stuck with me – she was right – I was doing it the hard way! I had told nobody but my husband that I was trying to lose weight. That relates back to my fear of failure –people will know I failed – and that will mean I’m worthless. Aaarrrgggh – I thought I had beaten that beast? Grrr.

Me – 13 June 2016

So, in February this year I joined Jenny Craig. I have been working through their program every week, visiting with a consultant, and feeling very supported. Today I reached a milestone of 10kg lost in 4 months. That makes 28kg so far since I started this journey in Jan 2015. I’m quite delighted with that, and pleased that I no longer weigh the same as an All Blacks prop!

I wanted to share this experience with you all as a way to point out that losing weight is not just about calories in vs the calories out, it’s also about the stories we tell ourselves about who we are. Over the years we create our stories, and sometimes these stories are helpful and get us through life safe and sound, but sometimes these stories are detrimental to our health and well-being and need to be challenged. That is a really scary thing to do, but once you confront your fears, the balance of power shifts, and you start to realize you are the one in the driving seat and you make choices – not your fears. This isn’t just about weight – it’s about anything you are afraid of facing – go out there and grab that fear, own it, and then work to bend and change that sucker into a story that supports a happier, healthier you!

I am also telling you this, because I’m not concerned with failure anymore (almost). It’s a journey. Some weeks I gain, some weeks I loose – it’s not black and white – and I am still more than my weight and I am still a fabulous person, no matter the size of my butt.

“It won’t happen over-night, but It will happen.” (Rachel Hunter)

Show me the money!

I found out today, via a Facebook post by EthicalJobs.com.au, that I missed Equal Pay Day (3 Sept). I know what you’re thinking – where was my head at?

The Equal Pay Day marks the period of extra days in the current year which women need to work to achieve the same wages that men earned during the previous financial year.

Equal Pay Day recognises how much longer women have to work to earn the same as men in one year. So, for every 12 months that men work, for example, women may have to work 15 months – and the end of that third month of the year is Equal Pay Day.

Courtesy of http://www.equalpayday.com.au

 Australia has a 17.5% gender pay gap (and it has been like that for 20 years now), but maybe we should just be grateful that it is less than Japan’s 28% or even Sweden’s 18.4%. In cold hard cash terms, our gender pay gap, based on average weekly earnings, means women earn $266.20 less per week. I despair because a gender pay gap means more than reduced incomes – it also affects the status of women within a society.

Equal Pay Day informs us that:

• There’s no one cause of the gap, and no one solution. In fact most of the gap occurs because of unconscious bias. Employers don’t deliberately pay men and women differently – that is illegal; but they might recruit differently, create different position descriptions, have different expectations or promote differently depending on whether you are a male of female – without even realising it.

If you would like to find out more about this, check out http://www.equalpayday.com.au/

ARTIST WAY UPDATE

I quit after week three. I have no excuse; I just stopped, and haven’t looked at it. My creative child and I are sitting on the couch watching soaps instead.

Does that make me a bad person?

Travelling Along the Artist Way

So, I took my inner creative child to the National Gallery of Victoria last week, for our “art date”, as encouraged by Julia Cameron in The Artists Way. I don’t think I chose well, as she appeared very under-whelmed but the experience, mainly because I had seen so much of it before, and I could tell she wasn’t very impressed. Even my favorite artist, Lee Krasner, couldn’t quite get her excited.

Combat by Lee Krasner, 1965, NGV collection

So, this week, I’ve decided to take her somewhere different – the Melbourne Aquarium.  Given how much I am looking forward to it, I figure the inner child must like this choice?  The idea of simply wandering around in this tranquil space, watching the fish glide effortlessly through the water as I ponder my creative yearnings, is really not preparing me for the throngs of school kids and tourists that are more likely to be screaming about the place.

The 3 page journal entries every morning were starting to get easier towards the end of last week, but I am now struggling again to get past a page and a half – although I have had some inspired ideas, and feel very motivated to get on with my day once I have done them. I never imagined myself much of a journal/diary person, but I think Julia Cameron may be making a convert of me? The trick is to not care about what is being written, and not fret if it doesn’t make sense, or your spelling is shocking, or it looks untidy – just write – anything. If you haven’t tried it before, I suggest you give it a go; you may be surprised how much it helps clear your mind before you start your day, and helps you to focus on what’s really important.

It will be my birthday this week, which usually causes me some anxiety and stress, for various reasons that I won’t go into here, so it feels good to have started a practice that helps to get rid of or alleviate those negative feelings, and allows me to celebrate it in a more appropriate way.

Bring on the champagne!

Hello Inner Creative Child!

I learnt last week that the venue at which I conduct SASH Life Drawing classes will, most likely, not be renewing their lease, and that this could mark the end of SASH Life Drawing there. With only a few months to go before it’s all done-and-dusted, I am wondering what it is I actually want to do about it?

SASH Life Drawing

Numbers have been declining of late, to the point that I had to cancel the last couple of classes. Should I be doing more promotional advertising? Not much point if it’s all coming to an end soon?

I said goodbye to the studio at the beginning of the year and I felt OK about that because I was still getting a weekly dose of creativity through the SASH LD classes – but now what?  Am I still looking for a job, because I can’t say I’ve been doing much job hunting of late?

What am I doing? Aaarrggghh!

So, I’m freaking out a bit. Obviously (due to amount of freaking-outness), I’ve worked out that I probably don’t want to give up my art practice – but what do I want to do about it then?

In my desperation, I have turned to Julia Cameron and The Artists Way. I have had numerous people tell me how wonderful The Artist Way 12 week workshop is, and that it really helped them tap back into their creativity, and find their “path”. That sounds just like what I need right now. I have more questions than answers for myself, and hopefully Julia can help me get it sorted.

So, it’s Day 1 of Week 1, and my first task was to start a journal, where I had to write 3 pages first thing in the morning. I can write about anything that pops into my head – just get it out on the page.  It doesn’t have to be anything fancy, just write.

Write, write, write – that’s all you have to do, Steph – aaaaand – Go!

Um, ahhhh, oooohhh, um …

The Artist Way by Julia Cameron

Writing 3 pages is way harder than I thought it would be – and I have to do this EVERY morning for the next 12 weeks? I’m already thinking of quitting! No, no, no – must focus – this will be good for me, it’ll help me get focused and in touch with my creative child – whoever that is?

I also have to go on an “art date” with myself sometime this week. Nobody else can come on the art date with me but my inner creative child. Where the hell do I take my inner creative child on a date?

I’m quite surprised at how I am already making excuses as to why I can’t go. I’m too busy, I’m broke, this is just stupid, etc. What am I so scared of? What could this inner creative child have done to make me not want to spend time with her? I actually feel nervous about picking a place to go in case she doesn’t enjoy it  – and it’s not like it’s even another person – it’s me for crying out loud!

So here we go folks on a 12 week journey to find my creativity and work out what it is I am doing with my life. Getting a studio again? Starting my own business? Returning to the corporate world? Getting another dog? And all that jazz … what fun, eh?

Eek!

The Ball & Chain

So, I arrived home one afternoon, after walking the dog, and as we entered the front gate I checked to see if we had any mail.  There was the usual collection of bills that I browsed through as I wandered up the path, but then I came across a card from the Mother-in-law (I recognised the hand writing). Now, I wondered, why would the Mother-in-law be sending us a card? Hubby’s birthday has been and gone, mine is over a month away, and it’s nowhere near Christmas? I opened the front door and looked at hubby lounging on the couch, and it dawned on me.

“Oh my god, do you know what the date is today?” I asked him.

“Um, yeah. Why?” he lazily responded, not even bothering to look up from the cricket highlights.

“It’s our wedding anniversary today.”  He slowly turned to me, and we both exchanged looks of shock and surprise, before bursting out into laughter. Neither of us would have remembered if it hadn’t been for the meticulous anniversary/birthday record keeping of the Mother-in-law (bless her)! I wonder how long it would have taken for one of us to realise that we may have forgotten something?

Hubby and I have been together for 15 years and happily married for 8 of those. We have an on-going joke that goes; “I think he/she might be “The One”, but you gotta give these things time”.

I’m not sure I can really explain why this particular relationship has worked out for me, more so than others. I had some pretty special guys in my life prior to meeting hubby, but never felt like I was ever going to grow old with them. I do wonder if it is less about the “romance” of love and more about the “realities” of love.

The best I have ever come across on the subject of love and longevity is from Louis de Bernieres’ Captain Corelli’s Mandolin:

“Love is a temporary madness, it erupts like volcanoes and then subsides. And when it subsides, you have to make a decision. You have to work out whether your roots have so entwined together that it is inconceivable that you should ever part. Because this is what love is. Love is not breathlessness, it is not excitement, it is not the promulgation of promises of eternal passion, it is not the desire to mate every second minute of the day, it is not lying awake at night imagining that he is kissing every cranny of your body. No, don’t blush, I am telling you some truths. That is just being “in love”, which any fool can do. Love itself is what is left over when being in love has burned away, and this is both an art and a fortunate accident.” 

I think it is also about age, and as I matured I spent less time chasing the excitement of the “first kiss” or the “crush” and wanted something more meaningful than fleeting glances and nervous sexual tension. Don’t get me wrong – that’s all a hell of a lot of fun – but it can be exhausting perpetually trying to fulfil those “feelings”.

I started to take time out from my busy schedule of “getting laid” to focus on what I really wanted for me and how I could please myself and not look for my happiness elsewhere … and that was when he popped up in my life. When you least expect it, as people painfully tell singles all the time (sorry single people).

Hubby and I are very open and honest by nature, and so it is with one another – he knows all my dirty little secrets, and loves me in spite of it all (and the same goes for him). We regularly “check in” with how happy with are with our lot in life, and if something doesn’t feel good, we work out how to make it so. We very rarely fight, which some people would say is a bad thing, but I think we don’t fight because we will talk about things as they arise, and don’t push those “issues” down deep inside to be released at an inappropriate moment, much further down the track.

Perhaps this is why forgetting the wedding anniversary wasn’t such a big deal for us? We are happy nurturing our relationship on a day-to-day basis, and don’t need the milestone to re-affirm our commitment to one another, as it is implied every day – I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.

Although, saying that, I was most upset to luck out on the expensive dinner out at a fancy restaurant, so I made a booking immediately. It didn’t matter that it was two weeks later, it was awesome, and I got to do it with my best friend (with benefits)!

Get Real Barbie

I came across an article this week about an artist, called Nickolay Lamm, who has created a “normal” Barbie to highlight how distorted Barbie’s body is, and to raise concerns about the impact this image has on young girls.

Barbie vs “normal” Barbie

Artist Nickolay Lamm of MyDeals.com used CDC measurements of an average 19-year-old woman to create a 3-D model, which he photographed next to a standard Barbie doll. Lamm then photo shopped the 3-D model to make it look like a Barbie doll.

“If we criticize skinny models, we should at least be open to the possibility that Barbie may negatively influence young girls as well,” Lamm said in an email to the Huffington Post. “Furthermore, a realistically proportioned Barbie actually looks pretty good.”

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/07/01/normal-barbie-nickolay-lamm_n_3529460.html#slide=2642663

I personally think the “normal” sized Barbie looks way better, healthier, happier and fun. When I posted the article on my Facebook page, I got others commenting on how refreshing it was to see this “normal” Barbie, and how she looked terrific. But my favorite comment was “I think dolls should come in all shapes and sizes”.

What a terrific idea. Dolls that are skinny, fat, short, tall, European, African, Asian, Indian, Islander … the options are endless! As a kid, wouldn’t you want to pick a toy that reflected what you see around you?  And as far as making money is concerned, I know I would have wanted to get my doll some friends of various shapes, sizes and colors as well, to hang out with!

This all bought back fond memories of my “Daisy” doll that I had growing up in the 70’s. I distinctly remember preferring Daisy over Barbie. Even as a little girl I felt Barbie was a bit too “racy” for me. I preferred Daisy’s simple, girlish looks – and she had rocking clothes too, made by British 1970’s Style Diva, Mary Quant! My favorite outfit for her was ¾ tartan pants and a brown fur top with black platforms. Awesome.

Dashing Daisy Ice Queen

One Christmas Santa bought me a new “Dashing Daisy” Ice Skating Queen. She was so pretty in her cute little ice-skating outfit. She had a small platform you attached her too, and when you pushed it across the floor, the doll would twirl around – like an ice skater does. I was delighted. The thing was … I thought I could make her even cooler. I took her too my room, cut her hair into a short spikey number, and colored it in pink and purple with my new felt pens (that Santa had also given me). I put on the cool tartan pants number and proudly presented my new Daisy to my Mother … who had a fit! I couldn’t understand why she was so upset?  She complained about how I had no respect for my toys and no idea how much things like that Daisy doll cost, and why would I ruin a toy like that? I was so confused: a) Santa gave her to me, so it’s not like it cost her anything, why was she so worried about money? – and b) Ruined? She looks amazing – can’t you see?

Manufacturing of Daisy dolls stop in 1983 after the manufacturers, Flair Toys Ltd, went out of business. I think it’s a real shame that she didn’t keep fighting the fight and representing a different kind of doll from her American counterpart, Barbie. I’d love to see her back on the shelves again.

The problem with Barbie is that she dominates a market where there is very little else to choose from.  It’s time to inject a little competition, some variety and some creativity into these toys! Let’s make Barbie work for her money by providing young girls with options! I say … BRING BACK DAISY!

It is also important, when talking about the impact that Barbie has on a young girls perception of her body, or her future expectations of what constitutes beauty, that Barbie is a plastic doll, and is not where a young girl ultimately gets her values and sense of self from. Her ultimate female role model is her Mother, or female Guardian, and the women who are in her life. So before we go blaming everything on poor old Barbie, we may want to take a look at how we, as women, are impacting on the lives of the young girls we encounter daily? A plastic Barbie is no competition for the real thing!

After all this talk, I am in the mood to go sit in the middle of the living room and play – I wish I’d kept my dolls now!

 

Stepping Forward

With little response to the (what feels like) billions of CV’s I have been sending out over the past few weeks,  I got in touch with a few recruitment companies to talk about what it was about my CV that wasn’t turning people on? I was disappointed to hear that as wonderfully creative, interesting and quirky my CV is, it doesn’t “tick all the boxes” for a recruitment company. They need to be able to quantify what I do, or have done, with an outside source.

Silly me, working for myself and using my own initiative. What was I thinking?

One very helpful young man suggested to me that I have a go at volunteering my online media talents, which would in turn give me someone to put on my CV to help “quantify” that I can do what I say I can do.

When I have thought of volunteering in the past I’d always imagined delivering meals on wheels, rummaging through old, smelly, second hand clothing or cleaning up the poop at the local animal shelter, I didn’t consider that there might be someone out there, with a limited budget, who could really benefit from my lack of employment right now.

So I put out the “feelers” (Googled) and discovered the wonderful and diverse world of volunteer services!  There are both general and skilled volunteering jobs available that assist those in most need within the community, and include areas as diverse as sport, conservation, tourism and the Arts.

One of the organisations I came across was the Frankston Volunteer Center, who offer a range of services for volunteers, and not for profit organisations who engage volunteers for a variety of needs. They support agencies, community groups, schools, corporations and volunteers by providing information about volunteering opportunities and workshops. They also coordinate the spontaneous volunteer response you get during a national emergency.  Their services are on offer in Frankston City as well as around the southern Melbourne metro region.

I am delighted to say that the Franskton Volunteer Center has enthusiastically taken me on board to assist them in digitally promoting the amazing services they have on offer, and providing me with an opportunity to feel good about contributing to something really worthwhile.

This whole volunteering lark may have made finding a full-time job a little harder for me, as I have got an interview next week for a financial institution, and I have been scrunching my nose at it, thinking that the job couldn’t possibly be as satisfying as something where I get to make a difference in people’s lives.

Am I turning into a Hippy?

Drawing from Life

SASH Life Drawing

Every Thursday night I grab a carton of milk and some biscuits and make my way to Rival Revolution Studios to hold life drawing classes. It’s quite possibly my favorite activity for the week, and I am always excited to see what amazing work will be created.

I get all sorts of people coming along to classes, from professional artists, students, frustrated graphic designers, people who haven’t seen a piece of charcoal since High School and the office dweller in need of some creative release in their lives.

Each class has a life of its own, depending on how the group is feeling. Sometimes classes are quiet and contemplative, other times it’s loud and full of raucous laughter. I love the organic nature of the entire evening and how this mood also affects the way people approach their drawing. I like to have music playing, and have observed that this too can affect the tone of a person’s drawing.  For example, with ballads or classical music we see soft delicate lines, with rock and indie music we get more dynamic, vigorous marks being made.

by Steph Hall

I am fortunate to be in a position where I have access to a terrific, dynamic space and the creative beings that dwell there. Rival is a space that allows me to provide an environment for people that is relaxed and friendly enough that they can give things a go and make mistakes, because that’s how you really learn to draw. The more a person plays and explores what they can do with a medium and the kind of marks they can make with it, the more they build a repertoire of drawing techniques, and those techniques will improve with every new mark discovered.

One of my favorite things about running these classes is meeting the absolute beginner who is quick to qualify that they can’t draw, and not to expect much from them, who then leaves at the end of the class vowing to come back because it was so rewarding – and look what they made! It’s a very satisfying feeling.

The comfortable feel to the classes is also about the kind of people who show up. This is certainly an activity I do for love, not money, so having such a terrific group of fun, friendly people show up each week definitely makes it all worthwhile for me.

I hope I get to do this for the rest of my life.

Join SASH Life Drawing at www.meetup.com/SASH-Life-Drawing

Watch a class at http://youtu.be/aNoYbMl0Vfs (3 mins)

The Dream Job … it’s out there

How’s the job hunting going, Steph?

Well, as anyone who has been job hunting will know, it’s an exhausting past time. I’m treating it like my full time occupation at the moment, and I’m not sure that I’ll know what to do if I actually managed to get an offer! “Sorry, I can’t take the job, I have other jobs to apply for tomorrow.”

The Perfect Job? For me?

I know what I want, but I don’t think people realise it’s me that they want?  My main problem is that darn Marketing and Communications degree that they insist I have. I can provide them with a resume chocka-block full of wonderful, practical work experience and terribly clever things that I have built, designed and created over the years, but people seem to really want to see that degree listed somewhere.

So, job hunting is going slow.

Even though I have been burnt before by an unpleasant job experience, I still believe it’s out there, somewhere. One day I will log on and there it will be … the job of my dreams. We’ll talk, we’ll connect, it’ll be like … magic. But until that day, I just need to remind myself that being unemployed is Ok too, in fact, there are plenty of good things about it. I get to do my own thing and I’m not answerable to someone else. I keep myself busy with different activities – you know – getting myself out there. There’s a job out there for everyone they say, I just wish it would make itself known to me sooner, rather than later.  I mean, what if I wanted to have an expense account at some stage? I’m not getting any younger, you know!

Change … it’s as good as a holiday?

I have been a full time Visual Artist for 8 years. It really is a lovely job.  I am my own boss, follow my own creative ambitions, and explore whatever I please in the pursuit of my passion. That is until the dreaded creative “block” showed up.  Since my last solo exhibition in Nov 2012, I have barely touched a canvas, or doodled in my journal. I use to look at a blob of paint and feel so excited by it, that there was a possibility I might just eat the stuff! But now … it’s just a blob of paint.

Feeling distressed about my lack of creative enthusiasm I went in search of inspiration, scouring the internet, visiting art galleries and exhibitions, talking to other artists, I even bought Julie Cameron’s “The Artists Way” to try jump start my creative urges again. But to no avail. I just wasn’t interested.

Being the creative being I am, I immediately went into melt down and over-analysed everything. What did this mean? Am I still an artist if I’m not creating anything? Am I finished with art? Have I done all I can do? Will I never be able to paint again?

Fortunately, most of those questions are put to rest by the simple fact that I am still making things.  I can’t help it. I am drawing every week in my life drawing classes, and I am still snapping photos and making little collages and exploring the wonders of Photoshop. I think it’s the way I am being creative that is changing, and its strange now to think I never thought that would happen.

So, I am not interested in the canvas and paint anymore. What is it that I am interested in then?

Recently, my husband came up with an idea for a computer program he swears will “take over the world and make us millions”, but he needs time away from his full time job to develop it. So, since I’m not doing much anyway, I have left my studio space, stored my materials and am now looking to get back in the workforce so he will have the opportunity to pursue his own project … for a while.

Considering this kind of idea  would have sent a shiver down my spine just a year ago, I am actually very “Ok” about this turn of events. I felt no sadness leaving the studio space, and am now filled with a sense of excitement and anticipation about where this new journey will take me, and how it will affect my creativity.

A story I have heard over and over again from part time artists is their frustration at never being able to find the time to pursue their creative interests. This blog is going to be my journey into this part time artist territory, and the obstacles I encounter as I do my best to continue nurturing my creativity. I am hoping the job I get will allow me to use my creative abilities to a certain degree, but I doubt it will satisfy all my artistic drives.

They say a change is as good as a holiday … well, let’s find out!