Make a life you love

I’ve taken about ten steps back from social media, recently, with the thought of making available more time to paint. Two and a half years ago, I went back to school for my real estate license. I sold a few houses. I gave away about thirty paintings, then I sold a painting. Then, I sold another painting.

At this point, real estate has become the hobby and painting has been given focus. The lifestyle is unfolding naturally and I am very happy with its success. I don’t suppose it ever occurred to me I could earn a living as an artist, two and a half years ago. It is with much gratitude in every opportunity I have to paint, there is something I can do on this earth that comes so naturally to me, causes me to feel great connection with the people I meet and provides for the material needs of my family.

Thank you to those who have encouraged and supported my art.

Today, I am painting for an event in Galveston on Saturday. Maybe six weeks ago, The Grand 1894 Opera House wrote to me and asked if I would bring my art for a solo show for the evening of their performance of “The Miracle Worker.” That was an easy one to say yes to. This is the first I have written about it online. I truly have been more focused on painting and in the development of new ideas. I have also cleaned and rearranged my apartment.

My mother called me, this week, and wanted to talk about my half-brother having won an Oscar sometime over the weekend. I don’t watch television and this event didn’t change that for me. I don’t have contact with this brother, I have not met him. I am adopted. I started life at the edge of other families, barely inside them, never to know more until much later in life.

My experience of adoption I have described before created in me a hybrid personality. I cannot deny the influence of my life largely separated from my genetic history, nor would I want to. I am happy to be adopted, though I believe it is the cause of taking longer to grow into myself than I would have liked. I am sure at times my parents did not know what to do with me. I was very different from them but grew to be more like them every day. Time doesn’t wait, it washed over me in ways that altered my destination.

It was at forty, nearly four years ago, I first had the faint realization I am an artist. I did not comprehend that clearly and I certainly didn’t know what that meant or how it would change my life. It has depth even now I am only beginning to comprehend. I am learning about ways artists are different. Reading about creativity and creative people has taught me about myself. Having close relationships with other artists has helped me to feel connected and, most importantly, understood. Before, I was connected. Because my family relocated multiple times during my childhood, I have known how to start friendships quickly – keeping the connection after relocating was my challenge. I knew how to start over and there is a part that breaks my heart even today.

I feel understood, today. I have not felt understood most of my life. I understand myself better. I have friends who inherently understand me. My adopted family has been very respectful in acknowledging the changes in my life and differences that make us separate but better and more whole. One family is not here to compete with another. No one is threatened. I am an adamant believer in that there is enough love to go around.

There is enough love. I have a very large family at this time in my life. I love my life. I am grateful for the winding path I have meandered through, sometimes off path and sometimes on. I have found my way. I still have questions about where I am going but each step is with more confidence. It is a lovely, simple life to be a painter. I feel connected to a source of inspiration and of collaboration that alters and greatly affects my art.

I believe all people have access to some form of creativity. I highly encourage you to find it in yourself and explore that space. Bring it to the world and make a life you love.

c.s.