I was always pretty excited to take occupational aptitude tests in middle and high school. Each year, without fail, my results yielded something that pointed me towards the arts – much to the dismay of my mother, who tired to push towards meteorology, despite years of near-to-failing science grades.
While I wasn’t prolific in any particular area of the arts, but I had a solid interest and talent in both music and photography. Despite this, I was encouraged to take a more practical route and entered college straight out of high school to become a teacher. My first job in college was at a local middle school as an in-class aid, and it was more than enough to teach me that I did not have what it takes to be in a classroom for the rest of my life. That being the clearest lesson I obtained in my early college years, I took a semester off to re-group which unexpectedly lasted about seven years. In that time, I got married, had a child and was working in the administrative side of a beverage manufacturer. As exciting as that sounds, it wasn’t enough and I re-enrolled at college.
Still unaware of what I wanted to do, I started writing freelance for a local paper and found that I wasn’t terrible at it. With this emerging skill, I decided to major in communications which to me, balanced my need for artistic expression as well as practically – I did have a family of my own to consider now and becoming a full time artist wasn’t exactly going to pay the rent. Fast forward a few years, with my bachelors in communications and a minor in photography in hand, I enrolled in a master’s program to further those practical artistic skills. All of this brings me here today, writing this blog to introduce myself to all of you.
When I’m not recounting the details of all these years, I spend time with my husband and daughter, exhibit my photography at local galleries, freelance whatever type of work I can get on top of my regular, 40-hour week job in higher-ed, and vice chair the city’s local cultural council. I try to stay engaged and informed about the arts and culture around me on a regular basis, and hope to be able to use this blog as a means to engage you all in the things that I find most dear to me.