Hello Hiveians! I'm back! It's been awhile since I last posted. Last summer ended with a bang when I took a month long road trip out to Texas to live paint my first festival in the state and do some exploring and adventuring as well. I painted at 6 festivals and a bunch of events last year and I’ll be sharing those adventure and some others I had last summer in the coming posts.
Life has been one rollercoaster of a ride lately and I've just been holding on riding this new tsunami wave that's hit me. Big changes are on the horizon; its been a hard road getting to that horizon but such is life. I’ll be doing my best to jump back in here head first over the next couple weeks. I have a lot to share on the art end but thought I’d give you a little update on where I am in life first…
Last November I had surgery on my back. I’ve had a cyst on my spine for a number of years now, it was causing a lot of health issues, weight gain & chronic pain and it needed to be removed. My surgery went well, but it was a long two month recovery. I couldn’t sit or lay on my back for 2 months. I had to put the art aside to heal which was hard! I couldn’t drive or do much on my own. I could barely walk from one end of the room to the other. I needed someone to help change my bandages everyday(I won’t gross you out with the details of a 3in deep hole in my back that had to be stuffed with gauze. eek!). I needed a lot of help to say the least and I am not one to readily ask for help, let alone continue to ask for it. It was a humbling experience to say the least to be so vulnerable. I'm all healed now and ready for whats ahead!
Then at the beginning of this year, I decided to spice things up a little more for myself lol. I chose to embark on a new journey for myself; something I've never done and I am excited and a bit scared for. I'm moving to another state! While I've moved around California a lot over the years and have traveled solo for the last 7 years for festivals where I live paint and sell my art, I've always moved my life with someone else. With friends or partners; never moved alone, and never nearly this far. I've never lived outside California, its a crazy thought to think about! This is a huge leap for me and I am excited to see what grows from the endeavor.
Also I bought a car! This story is its own adventure. I've never thrown that much money on anything before, and its been kinda a living nightmare since day 1. With deceitful dealerships pulling shady moves, selling me a bunk car, holding my car for two weeks to be “worked on” when it was never in a shop to begin with, lying to me and refusing to answer my calls nor give me paperwork for my vehicle…I won’t go into the whole debacle, but its been a headache for almost a month. It took threatening to bring in lawyers and a few phone calls to higher ups, with my amazing sister in the lead who is a spitfire of a women who got them to at least own up to the deceit, avoidance and all around unprofessional behavior boarding on criminal and get me the paperwork I needed to move onward from them…THANKFULLY I bought an extended warranty not connected to the dealership (which is saving my patootie right now) and I now have it in a trustworthy shop and I’m actually getting the work done to fix my car(a whole new transmission, oy!). Holy moly what an experience its been!
As of now, I’ve been living out of suitcases for almost 6 weeks now…I am still waiting to move as I wait for my car to be fixed. Been jumping around living with a friend and then some family, and now back in my little cottage in Grass Valley. I’m on the waitlist for that Portland collective(i missed my opportunity to get a studio space right away). I’ve already packed up my current studio in preparation for a move that didn’t happen so I haven’t been painting AND I’ve been helping with hospice duties for a puppers that is dear to my heart. She is the dog to someone who was very close to me who passed two years ago. Its been heartbreaking to deal with. Its been a rough road, but all will be well and I am adjusting to the chaos surely but slowly.
All that drama aside…
My end goal is Portland, with a new car(used but new to me) to take me on many journeys and hopefully joining a huge art collective in the city that is doing big things. But the universe saw me making plans and laughed that I would be so determined to see everything play out as planned. So like life usually does, I was thrown a couple curve balls and have been juggling these disasters while trying to make this new adventure happen. While my goal was to be moved by the end of Feb, hahaha wouldn’t you know it, I’m still trying and its April. I am determined though and I only see all this as life lessons and something to learn and grow from. I may not know it yet, but there’s a reason I’m not supposed to be up in Oregon yet. I may never know why, but I’m leaning into the wave and letting it pull me rather then fight it. We shall see where I end up!
On a quick good note, during these crazy months I was interviewed by two different magazines for my art and look forward to sharing my features from both of those places soon. Even through all this chaos, I've been keeping steady on the growth of my art business. I locked in another giant commission I'll be starting up at my first festival this summer for my festie circuit. I cannot wait to see what manifests on this new piece and I'm excited to eventually share that progress.
I’m excited for what my independence and this new chapter of life will bring. I embrace life at every turn, all sides, good and bad. Life is not just about joy, it is also about sorrow. As what is the point of the happiest of moments if you've never felt the deepest of sorrows? You wouldn't truly be able to acknowledge and be grateful for all those good moments. It would pass you by and you'd barely notice it as anything other then another day. Life is a beautiful, never easy journey and I’m here for it!
“No one ever learned anything from having a good time”
Thanks for taking the time to read my life update! Keep your eyes posted for another post (artsy stuff, yay!) coming in the next day or so! I am trying to be more diligent about posting my art journey with you all more often. I have a lot to share! Happy Saturday everyone. <3
(a little detail picture I took of one of my newest pieces. I'll be sharing the rest soon)