Coming out of the Creative Closet

"Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up."  Pablo Picasso

I have this memory of me standing in my playroom. I was not yet enrolled in school, so I must have been 4 or 5 years old. My mom was ironing in the next room while watching "The Young and Restless". The theme song is playing. In this snapshot of a memory, I am standing in front of my little painting easel; the tray is loaded with paint and brushes. I had paper taped to the easel board- a large fresh-white space of possibilities. I distinctly remember pretending to be an 'artist' and this was my studio space. I was taking it all very seriously. And then this feeling of excitement and soul-purpose washed over me. 

Fast-forward to now. Many years have passed. A brief but albeit intense archaeological career, children, and through it all much struggle and soul searching to find that creatively open little girl again.  Shaking off the doubts and artistic insecurities I've picked up along the way, I can now enter my studio and stand at my easel with a new canvas waiting-  a large fresh-white space of possibilities. And I remember this feeling of excitement and soul-purpose. 
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Ahhh... if it were only that simple. Next comes the subject of audience. For a shy, dont-look-at-me-kind-of-gal, sharing what I do is extremely strange. And uncomfortable. 

Yet, I have this little website now. And I find myself writing this blog. Yikes. What am I doing???? Stepping out of my comfort zone, or the proverbial 'creative closet', is exactly what I'm doing! 

Now that I'm here, I'm feeling rather naked and ridiculous. Now what?