****Culturati Post****
Due to the lack of dull moments in my home, I've had a lot to discuss about motherhood lately. Not today. A few mornings ago, I found myself at a business event. In the early days of Art Crush (2014-15), I went to networking events often. It was never really my cup of tea honestly, but I knew that I’d have to be uncomfortable in order to one day live as comfortably as I plan. I have to admit I met some really awesome people in the process who proved to be supportive and informative. I also got a teensy bit better with talking to strangers.
Digressing. It's always interesting for me in these situations when I’m asked, “So what do you do?” In the beginning, I'd freeze. Not because I was ashamed of my artistic pursuits, but because you could always see the incredulous looks on their faces that sarcastically read, “Aw, she has a hobby.” LOL! That nagging feeling of not belonging in the room with the tech whiz/millionaire/CEO/influencer types. Things are different for me now though. I'm not sure if it's the going through traumatic circumstances or the fact that my business plan HAS to work, but the other day I was ready and giving zero effs about how “I'm an artist” would sound as it rolled from my lips. What followed was nothing short of amazing. The gentleman who inquired was actually looking for an artist to assist one of his clients. Imagine that. I'm no believer in coincidence; I was exactly where I was supposed to be (first person there actually because I hate being late...although I occasionally am) chatting with one of the panelists before the presentation started.
Immediately following the event another gentleman approached me with his business card asking what it is that I do. Upon telling him, he asked how long had I been interested in art. I chuckled. In my mind that's like asking me how long I've needed oxygen to survive LOL! Hell, my easel is old enough to buy alcohol! He smiled when I told him that I’ve always been (along with a longwinded description of my portfolio) and gave me his card. He said something about sensing my passion for art and wanting to see my WORK. To me, that was the biggest compliment EVER! Painting, drawing, or writing have never been hobbies for me. If I'm bored (which isn't often), I'll bake, dance ridiculously to trap music, or read whatever is nearby (maybe raid my bookcase if I'm near it). Every once in a while, I'll fiddle around in my frohawk simply because it's there. Simply put, my hobbies change with the wind; my "arting" does not and probably never will. When I was dealing with grief, even if I wasn’t painting, I was sketching and jotting down ideas. I still wrote poetry. I even drew some angry sketches to get rid of the frustration I felt with life. So while hobbies are cute and fun and all, art will never be that for me, be it painted, drawn, written, or burned. Art and creating are my life's blood, my purpose, what I HAVE to do and I'm believing my creative gifts will take me to all of the places I've dreamed of. I'm ready to put in the work and OWN. MY. DESTINY. Thank God for second chances...and early morning networking events in my city.
XO.
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