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Monday, September 17, 2012

Getting Down to Business

   I am a mom. I drive a minivan. I am a stay-at-home mom who cleans and cooks and volunteers in my son's kindergarten class once a week. I personally struggle a little with being a stay-at-home mom. I know there are some mother's out there who are working and would love to stay home. I do love being a mother but I have such a drive in me, such a passion, such a thirst for accomplishment and making a difference in the world that I sometimes feel like I am wasting my life each and every day. Now I know that for my two children, my daily involvement in raising them will be fruitful in their lives. But the funny thing about people is that even if a kid is raised in a daycare they can still turn out to be a very awesome person! Where am I going with all of this?
    Well, I was recently forwarded a website that is dedicated to a documentary called "Who Does She Think She Is?" I have not yet seen this documentary, but the clips I saw on this website have been enough to inspire me to get down to business! First let me say that the documentary focuses on 5 women artists who are also mothers. Two of the artists in particular still have kids living at home but are very successful, working artists as well. Check out the website for yourself! http://www.whodoesshethinksheis.net/
   So what exactly do I mean when I say I am going to "get down to business"? I am going to treat my art as if I were going to a job. I am going to set studio work hours and, with my husband's support, will work in my studio every day. Some days it may just be one hour. Other days I may be able to do up to five hours. I already work in my studio but I treat it like a last-thing-on-the-list-to-do. So most weeks I only work in my studio one or two days per week for about 2 hours each time.
   The biggest encouragement I received from the clips I watched from the documentary is that I do not need to feel guilty about creating my art. I have been given this gift. Everywhere I have tried to turn as far as other career paths go, have been shut down...except my art. My art has been blessed and I sell everything I make. So, instead of searching desperately for a "job" so I can leave my mark, I am going to embrace my art, along with my stay-at-home-mother status, and leave an even more beautiful mark than I could anywhere else at this moment in time. If you need me, I'll be in my studio!