Living A Passionate Life
My story
Just because I have lived a long time does not make me an expert in how to live your life. I am occupied with introspection of my own life;
I was born in 1934. I image that it is difficult for most of you to imagine being that old. I often hear, “You are an inspiration” That used to bother me because it seemed to me that I was “inspiring” just because I am old. I understand that it is more than that…
I am a working artist and have been for 65 years. Under my picture in my high school year book was, “Artists Are Always Young” I began to understand that that is because we are never finished.
I am actively teaching, mostly the encaustic technique, creating and exhibition my work; I am always learning more and more about social media, doing all my postings on my website, Facebook page, newsletter, blog and Instagram. My yoga practice continues, but now it is mostly meditation twice a day.
On the day of my 90th birthday, I thought deeply about how what I have experienced, learned and would like to share with others who might be Interested .
So I will be sharing a bit of my colorful life. Subscribe if you would like to hear more from me.
I’ll start at the beginning;
When I was five years old, I decided I wanted to become an artist. I drew at every opportunity. I remember lying on the floor while my mother ironed clothes. I asked her, "What would you like me to draw?"
She responded, "I don’t care. Draw anything you want."
I insisted, "No, Mama, I can draw anything. Tell me what you want to see." But my mother couldn't be bothered with my childish request, leaving me feeling rejected and disappointed. I retreated to my room, closed the door, and decided not to share my drawings with her anymore.
As a child, I filled my days with drawing, painting, and writing stories. In grade school, I ignored arithmetic assignments—what they called mathematics back then. Academic work wasn’t my reality; all I wanted to do was draw.
I was one of those people gifted with the ability to truly see—not just to look at things, but to notice details and the spaces in between. People often asked me, "How can you draw that?" meaning how I could draw so realistically.
"I just look at it. It's easy," I would reply. I didn't understand why others couldn't see what I saw or weren't as passionate about it. Much later in life, I realized I couldn't hear what my musician husband heard, illustrating how everyone has different talents.
My father often remarked, "What good is art? You can't eat it or wear it." To say I was not encouraged to become a professional artist would be an understatement.