I know what you're thinking, why's a mixed media artist blogging about travel? The short answer is: inspo AF!
My lust for new horizons, rich colors, textures and vibrant cultures is so real. And it always has been. But let's take a step back in time, for perspectives sake:
I rarely followed the script, er rules, growing up. I mean, that may even be an understatement if you ask my parents, teachers or counted my high school detention slips. Sometimes out of spite of authority but mostly, because I followed my own curiosity. Definitive yes or no answers left no room for exploration (I mean, thats kinda the point) but that grey area between yes and no is where I thrived. I was a rebel, not in an anarchist, f*ck the world kind of way. But more so as an independent trail blazer, in a I wanted to learn for myself kinda way; so I fought hard, took a few L's but in hind sight, I'm even better for it. I learned most things the hard way, not out of lack of guidance or discipline but by choice. As far back as I can remember, I was that little girl defying social norms making mud pies in a Nation's pie tin in the backyard, decorating it with wild flowers and snail shells with my puppy-dog companions at my feet. Or ripping apart beaded or macrame bracelets to learn how-to put them back together. I remember using grandmas extra pie dough for not-so-elegant confections we deemed, Dena's Doughnuts. My mom was an artist after all, in an age far before Pinterest and YouTube tutorials. A true weekend warrior, sometimes handier than my outdoorsman, motorcycle riding pops. Her aunt and cousin were naturalists and craftswomen in a time and space where that wasn't the norm for women, they in their own right were rebels too. The point is, that curiosity to touch and create started very young for me. I'd even been known to catch a few of my own pets despite being told not to: stray dogs, frogs, crawdads and lizards (oh my!) I can't tell you exactly how or why but I've never lost that curiosity. The inverse, actually, I've nurtured it and in part I'd say is through travel. What better way to challenge your independence, communicate without knowing native languages, navigate unfamiliar terrain, demonstrate acceptance and bask in the moment. That excitement tinged with anxiety, that's the zest of life! Creatively, thats my secret sauce.
Fast forward 30 years (ugh don't remind me), many-a jobs, trades and cities later, I can assure you the one thing you can use and actually never deplete is creativity. A wise woman once said, Maya Angelo to be exact, "Creativity cannot be used up. The more you use, the more you have." That quote is scribbled on the first page of my now 15-year old sketch book. But it wasn't until recently that it really resonated with me.
For literal years I've found myself trying to compartmentalize different elements of what I do, what I create and essentially who I am. I've been deemed the sometimes derogatory, jack of all trades and master of none. I get it, if you can't relate, its hard to tie in each element without looking scattered: travel, photography, fine art, graphic design, cooking, cupcake confecting etc. But for me, they're all just different mediums to create with. Instead of trying to verbally explain that every time I connect with someone new and reach for 1 of 3 different business cards (lol), again learning the hard way, I'm making a personal effort to share each element in one space to be truly authentic. In the spirit of simplicity and owning my journey, I hope to inspire you too! I'll finally be sharing travel photos, tips and craft how-to's here on my once neglected blog. Stay tuned for local workshops and demos, early Spring '18. Yahoo! ;)
Cheers to you and being unapologetically true. It takes a village to raise a dream and we're better for it striving together.
Dig deep, take flight.
xo Dena
