My Artistic Side -- One Year Old!

Yesterday was the one year anniversary of my blog. Somehow that fact escaped me until this morning. I had even noted it on my desk calendar, but didn't read it.

This morning I was reading through the latest volume of "Artful Blogging" published by Stampington & Co. After reading several stories in there, my mind started to whirl. Just exactly what did I mean by "My Artistic Side"? How did I arrive at that name for my blog. To celebrate the one year anniversary I decided to share some thoughts with you about my artistic side.

Ever since I was a child I loved coloring, drawing, creating things in art class at school, and sewing. My grandmother taught me to sew by hand. She lived a block away from our home in Los Angeles -- yes, I grew up in Southern California. I created doll clothes for my dolls from scraps that my grandmother gave me. Then I took a home ec class in junior high school and that class sharpened my sewing skills.

I have dabbled in a lot of crafts. My mother, my grandmother and my husband all told me I had an artistic side and that I could do most anything I put my mind to do. Well, that's true! Over the years I learned to crochet, quilt, cross-stitch, needlepoint, crewel, decopage, and spent over 10 years at tole and decorative painting. For some I took classes and others I am self-taught. All these were accomplished while I was a stay-at-home mom for my two sons.

After I returned to work full time in 1992, I pretty much let my artistic side go dormant. After we "retired" here to Arizona in 2001, we traveled, I had my antique and collectibles booths, and then the world collapsed when my husband was diagnosed with cancer in December of 2003 and my sister was diagnosed with cancer in April of 2004.

Since my husband passed in late 2004, I have been awash in taking over his duties (as well as grieving over his loss and a year later the loss of my beloved sister, Jan). All of this has meant taking over the bookkeeping and bill paying, the house and yard when things aren't working, my car (and buying a new one), etc. All those things he took care of for 36-plus years. Getting my life under control took nearly 3 years.

My really good friend, Kim of Mystic Paper, was my saving angel. She encouraged me to try scrapbooking in her fledgling shop in Mesa. That was a turning point. Then she encouraged me to submit some of my work to Stampington & Co. Then she encouraged me to start a blog -- everyone has one, check it out, try it! Kim is my biggest fan and supporter. If she hadn't turned on my artistic side, I am not sure I would have made it this far in getting on with the rest of my life.

I now have everything "under control" here at home (except the stash of finds that occupies my 3-car garage!) and can devote the time and energy to working on my artistic side. I love to create! Once I start a project I cannot stop until it is finished! I get caught up in it. It takes over my day. Sometimes I forget to eat. I don't want to stop! My creativity seems to flow, ideas grow, and stopping is not an option when that happens. Letting it flow is a great "high"!

This is how "My Artistic Side" came about. Hope you enjoyed the story. I know there are a lot of you out there who read my blog and some have started to leave comments. I love reading your comments! Keep them coming!