What do I create? 

 

Right now, one of my favorite things to create is what I call simply "Joyful Art."  Using traditional and digital mediums, I come up with designs and art pieces that make me smile.

 

I'm also working on some fun and exciting products to offer other homeschooling families (organizational tools, mini courses on teaching children life skills, art lessons, etc...)  I've got some different things in the works that I'm so excited to share with the world!

 

Why do I create art? 

 

Simple answer: I LOVE it! 

 

Do you ever have those moments when you get all tingly and feel this overwhelming feeling of, “Wow, this is one of the things I was born to do!”?  That’s me when I’m creating art.

 

I don’t know how to explain it.  It’s just like something inside of me turns on and lights up.  It feels like my soul is being cleansed.  It’s the best!

 

Of course, it’s not like that 100% of the time.  There are times when I stare at the blank canvas and think, “Wow, I am just not feeling it.  I don’t know where to start.”  Or, “Eeek, I have this big idea in my head, but I’m scared to let it out and actually start creating it, because I might let myself down, and it won’t turn out as awesome as it is in my head.”

 

Yeah, those moments are tough.  I know we all have them.  And I hate to admit that I’ve let them get the best of me in the past.  I’ve let my fears stop my creating.  Eww.  I don’t want to do that anymore.

 

So, despite my fears and doubts, I am continuing to create because I know that if I work through the negative, I will get to that happy-tingly-blissy feeling. 

 

And that makes it all worth it.

 

What do I use to create? 

 

Photoshop is my go-to medium of choice.  I love the flexibility of digital art – the undo button, the ability to test something out and just see if I like it without the fear of ruining the canvas.  Photoshop is where the majority of my experience is, so it feels like home to me. 

 

Illustrator is very intriguing to me and I can really see its usefulness, but I’m kinda scared of it.  I still don’t quite know my way around it, so I only use it sparingly.  I’m excited to learn more, though.

 

Recently, I’ve discovered the delight of actual paint and canvas.  Oh man, that feeling of smooshing the paint on the canvas with my fingers – ahhhh – it feels so amazing, and organic, and expressive, and real.  And the blend that I can achieve with the colors and textures is just something I can’t replicate in Photoshop.

 

So, right now, I’m loving painting on a canvas first, then scanning it into my computer and adding the digital layers.  I get the best of both worlds.  Love!

 

What are my artsy hopes and dreams? 

 

• Spread happiness, love, hope, and possibility.  Yay!

• Quit my day job and make enough money doing what I love.

• Sell Art in My Zazzle Shop

• Sell Art in My Etsy Shop (coming soon!)

• Work with an agent to land some awesome licensing deals with my patterns and illustrations.

• Create some fun and useful products of homeschooling families - mini ecourse, ebooks, etc...

• Write children's books

• Write books about things that have helped me in my life

• Speak at conferences

• Speak in schools

• Go around to libraries singing songs and reading my books to kids

 

Bam!  There it is.