Playing the hand
You don’t have a right to the cards you believe you should have been dealt. You have an obligation to play the hell out of the ones you’re holding. ~ Cheryl Strayed
I’ve spent decades making art in many forms. I’ve taught countless workshops, collaborated with artists, and built a community around creativity. I’ve had the privilege of working with hundreds of artists and witnessing firsthand how art changes people. Not in some lofty or distant way, but in immediate, human ways. Art helps people breathe deeper. Feel less alone. Remember wonder. Process grief. Find confidence. Build connection.
This isn’t just something I do, it’s what I’m here to offer the world. It’s my purpose. The best use of me.
For the past few years I have worked a steady job unrelated to the arts. Great company, benefits, and people. The kind that helps pay the bills and offers predictability. It provided much-needed stability after a few years punctuated by loss, divorce, illness, and disruption. I have been grateful for it. But yet…
When you know your purpose, it’s hard to ignore.
Last week I made a leap. I left the steady job and opened my arms wide to the life I am meant to live.
Leaving a steady paycheck to pursue art full-time is not a casual decision — especially when you have people who depend on you and a very real awareness that creative income can be inconsistent. I acknowledge there’s risk in this path. But there’s also risk in ignoring the thing that keeps asking for your attention year after year after year. There’s risk in never allowing yourself the chance to be truly you.
I’m choosing the leap, not because it’s guaranteed, not because it’s easy, but because it feels honest and authentic, and worth it.
In some way, it feels like I’ve been training for this my whole life. Years of experience in arts administration, years of working as an artist and teacher, and years of building skills and connections make me feel like I can do this. The education handed me by countless stumbles and failures assure me of it. I’m a firm believer that mistakes are far better teachers than successes.
That doesn’t mean I won’t still make wishes on dandelion puffs, just in case.
In the coming weeks you will see more art from me, more workshops and community events, more opportunities to engage in outrageously wonderful arts shenanigans. More joy.
I’m going to play the hell out of the hand I’ve been dealt.
I am so grateful for your support and cheers (and hand squeezes when I get scared). Please keep an eye on my website and social media, and if you think someone else might be interested in my journey, I’d be grateful if you would share with them.
