ARTicles

In elementary school, it was the Special Stash of super sized construction paper I begged from my art teacher for a personal project. In middle school, it was the Bad Novels I toted around in tattered notebooks with ink splattered hands. In high school, it became stage make up and set design and sketching portraits using celebrity head shots in my Teen Beat as reference photos. And more than anything? It was Cindy's Corner, my own prime piece of pulp real estate in the school newspaper.

In the presence of strong indicators such as the above, a journalism program, or art school would have seemed a no-brainer. But it took some floundering in my early adulthood before I realized that the creative arts comprised the backbone of my existence, and that I didn't just want to see what I could do with it, I had to.

And that's what I've been doing ever since. Writing and creating, and I've stopped viewing these outlets as competitors. I can't say that realizing my calling looks much different than the aforementioned floundering, but it does give me things for which to aim and hope. And it gives me, in a single word, a unifying perspective on my free form life.

That's what ARTicles is, for me. It's structure; a name for what I do, and a vehicle for me to share. Because that's what ARTicles, the blog, is: an invitation to join me in the artistic process. Yes, I'll be sharing my work--but I'll also be passing along ideas to help you embrace creativity in your life, in ways that are meaningful to you. Here in this virtual studio, you're welcome to get as involved as you want, even if that just means observing the floundering--because there will definitely be floundering.

But we'll also be celebrating: finished projects, gifts, and stories, too--a working studio that evolves into a gallery. I hope you'll join me