Inspired to Hope and Dream

Hi All: Its been a minute since I posted anything, but life happens, you know? There is so much going on with all of us. Some of us stay at home Moms are with our children all day and trying to find those moments when we can create something is challenging at times. To put a doodle down on paper in between the, "mommy I want, Mommy I need, mommy, mommy, mommy" or sometimes just managing to talk to another grownup who will understand our plight takes patience, skill and almost perfect timing. I have learned to get my daughter in on the creative process. When she sees me doing my thing, she wants to come along for the creative ride which brings me to a wonderful artist named Holli Conger. I visit her site often for inspiration. We all need to nourish that little ray of hope that maybe some day we will be published illustrators or writers and Holli does that for me. With great inspiration, who knows, we may even end up on the Martha Stewart show doing some kind of crafty thing. Holli has this wonderful blog called Woogie Wednesday. I think it's the best thing since sliced bread. It's the day in the week that her daughter gets in on some art projects. It really gave me a lift. If you get the chance visit woogiewednesday.com It's so much fun!
For me personally my blog Ooh La La Design Studio has been a long time coming and the new book series I just illustrated for Scholastic, "Ruby and the Booker Boys", was some of the hardest work I ever loved. It just didn't come over night for me. At 45 years of age I have been wanting to express myself through the arts for a long, long, long time, but something always got in the way. I put it to the side so many times I can't even count. I have experienced so much loss in my life. I have had so many things that could have stopped me from creating altogether. I've had 3 miscarriages, buried a stillborn and finally gave birth to my beautiful baby girl seven years ago. I have watched my Mom at 56 years of age go from a strong go getter to 85 pounds of almost not knowing who I was when she died of colon cancer. I have broken my ankle in half and had to learn to walk again. I don't feel sorry for myself. That wasn't the lesson I needed to learn. What I have learned is that, what doesn't kill us makes us fat and I can make it on broken bits and pieces called the collage of my life. I understand that I can take the lemons that life hands me and make very tasty lemonade and serve it to the woman who feels as if what she is doing is all in vain. I have learned to encourage other artists like myself who feel like they will never be discovered, published or heard, that timing is everything. I think if Scholastic had come to early I would not have been prepared for the tremendous challenge of meeting deadlines and being consistent in character development. There is a season for everything under the heavens. I will encourage you with this. Keep drawing, sewing, telling stories, doodling, hoping, dreaming, praying and don't always share what you have in your heart to do until you are filled to the brim and overflow with it's possibilities in your own mind. Hold it and nurture it in a safe place inside you. Put good thoughts to it. Think positive things about it. Speak life to your dreams and don't let anyone tell you what you can or can't do at what age or stage of life. We are a promise and we are possibility all wrapped up in flesh and blood and we can do anything if we put our minds and hearts to it.