I’ve already done a Creative Soul Life episode with the same title but I still want to do my annual recap here. Normally I do a bit of a deep dive into each aspect of my life including my art business. 2025 was a year of calm and introspection though. I’m trying to embrace my Keep Reading
I love okra… there, I said it. I have a friend who grew up in the North who had never really heard of it before meeting me. She says she giggles every time she even says the word. I’ve planted it many times in hopes of that mythical bumper crop… where you have too much Keep Reading
In my last blog post, I talked about how essential purpose is, especially a meaningful purpose, as we enter the “second half” of life. Specifically, I’m grappling with the question: How do I find a meaningful purpose in creating art now? A Career Shaped by Life My path to becoming a professional artist was a Keep Reading
I’m in that life stage—empty-nest and semi-retired—where I’ve been doing a lot of deep reflecting lately. Much of this involves talks with my husband, who is hoping to retire in the next few years. We’re consuming tons of reading and podcasts, and every discussion eventually circles back to one idea: finding a purpose. This really Keep Reading
If you’ve followed me on social media lately, you might have noticed me posting about my “oldies but goodies” — older art that’s finding its way onto my website and Etsy shop. This might leave you wondering: why do artists have so much old art? Here’s the simple answer: I’ve been a professional artist for Keep Reading
In my recent email, Cultivating Creativity, I talked about how teachers were the original influencers in our lives. Thinking about that started me on a deep dive on the three art teachers that had the most influence on me and my eventual career in art. Growing up, my schooling was very focused on academics. I Keep Reading
Under the Dust What’s under your bed? For years, all that was under mine was a collection of dusty art portfolios from college and even high school. They followed me through several moves. One move was especially memorable when the mover carried a portfolio from the truck like a majorette’s baton, spinning it and scattering Keep Reading
When I choose a subject to paint, I think about what caught my attention and what it invokes. To the left is the basil plant I was growing that inspired my painting, Italian Basil, part of the Art for the Uncommon Gardener series. Basil is my favorite herb and always the first I plant when Keep Reading
The Blend Coffee and Wine, 9510 Buffalo Rd, Palmetto, FL 34221 I’m sitting in one of my favorite chain coffee shops, The Blend. This location is new to me but I’ve visited several in Pinellas County, although always through their drive-through. Today I have time to stop and go inside so I’m enjoying their Coffee Keep Reading
Big Move and Bigger Hurricanes The biggest event of 2024 was my husband and I selling our home on a barrier island on the Gulf of Mexico and moving about an hour to the other side of Tampa Bay. The driver for the move was evacuation fatigue and, wow, was it the right decision. We Keep Reading
