Birthday Blog Post

Today happens to be my birthday. 

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This was my sixth birthday party with an Alice in Wonderland theme.

It’s a big one, folks. Admittedly, I enter this new decade with a wee bit of trepidation, but I am also doing so with a fresh perspective. A lighter heart. An outlook of hope and optimism. A confidence that, along with the years comes the wisdom to not take life too seriously. To eat that slice of cake, to take that vacation, and yes, to have more fun with my art!

A birthday is a good time for reflection… it’s also a time to start writing a new chapter.  I figure why not begin my new chapter with a blog?  I want my blog to be a place to express my personal feelings on certain topics relating to my art practice and creative life.  I plan to do that as the spirit moves me…with no strict schedule to adhere to. My hope is that this blog will serve two purposes. First, to be that outlet for me to write about what drives me and my art, and secondly, to give you a chance to get to know me a bit better.

 With this first blog post, assuming you’ll indulge me, I’m going to share some of the things that make me tick, that make me mad, that make me feel alive. You can read my history in my Bio. But this is the nitty gritty. Some of you may know me, some of you may THINK you know me and some of you don’t know me at all. I hope this post will serve as a decent intro.

The three biggest rocks in my jar:

  • Self-care (body/mind/spirit),

  • family

  • my art

I try to remind myself of the importance of them every morning.

Things I love…

  • the beach

  • going for walks

  • eating out (I love all kinds of foods but Italian never fails.)

  • a good movie that moves me in some way (A Beautiful Mind, Once, Dead Poet’s Society, Shawshank Redemption…)   (oh, and I like most Romcoms too)

  • a good book that engrosses me (currently I’m hooked on Kristen Hannah books. The Four Winds, The Nightingale, The Great Alone, etc)

  • solitude

  • the sea, the earth, the sky…all of nature’s wonders!

  • gardens filled with flowers

  • kindness from strangers

  • spending time with the people who get me

  • vacations with my family

  • a big pot of steamed clams with butter, bread and a cold beverage, natch

  •   laughing with my grandsons, crying at a sad movie, feeling inspired and moved emotionally

  • inventions that make life easier (post-it notes, ez pass, GPS, Alexa)

  • inventions that cure disease

  • dancing

  • music that suits my moods (Maggie Rogers, Rhye, Michael Kiwanuka, Hotel Cool Side, George Winston, Madeleine Peyroux, Ingrid Michelson to name a few)

  • creative freedom

  • quotes (I am admittedly a quote junkie. One of my favorites is from Henry van Dyke-  “Use what talents you possess, the woods would be very silent if no birds sang except those that sang best.”

  • my home (wherever I happen to be at the time.) As typical of Cancer types, I get very attached to my home as it’s my safe space, my cocoon, a place that soothes my soul. A place where my family and friends feel welcome.

  • travel – as much as I love my home, I enjoy traveling to new places, being inspired by different cultures, new scenery.

  • taking photos with my trusty iPhone

  • color!!!

  • creativity in all its forms …expressive calligraphy, contemporary art galleries and museums, folk art, street art

  • abstract expressionism

  • Matisse, Monet, Mitchell, Twombly, Hoffman…etc

  • coffee ice cream

Things I love/hate

  • social media

  • technology

  • change (I get attached to people, things, seasons, a schedule I can control…and yet I thrive on challenges and newness)

 

Things that make me furious

  • Passwords

  • Inconsiderate people

  • Closed minds

  • Rushing

  • Gun violence

  • World hunger

 

Things I am proud of

  • My two kids who have grown into amazing adults

  • The company I built (and yet I’m clear about ways I could have done it better)

  • The non-profit that we founded (and yet it is currently “under construction”)

  • The places I call home

 

Things I am not so proud of

  • Guilty pleasures…well, I have quite a few…the worst may be binging on TV shows at bedtime (Grey’s Anatomy …18 seasons worth! Woohoo! Yes, I’m one of the few who have not watched it from the beginning)

  • My ability with numbers, financial planning, budgeting

  • Skipping classes in college

  • Times when I could have done more, been kinder, given more of myself

 

Things I am grateful for:

  • A loving husband (who understands my need for solitude)

  • Loyal friends (I am fortunate to have the BEST)

  • Good health

  • A happy childhood with wonderful parents (and a pretty nice brother)

  • Happy kids and grandkids

  • Freedom

 

I am a flawed, imperfect human being. I suffer from fear of failure,  self-sabotage,  lack of confidence. I overthink. I detach from things that make me uncomfortable or uneasy. I avoid controversy. I procrastinate. I sometimes get depressed. I could always do more to help others. I can be hard on myself and others close to me.

 

But I care deeply about a lot of things.

I want to make good art, to become a really good painter.

I want to make a difference, however small.

I want to keep learning and growing and searching.

I want to help inspire others.

I want to leave a legacy my family can be proud of.

I want to contribute to a kinder, gentler world however I can.

 

I begin this decade filled with gratitude.

I begin with a desire to be more OPEN.

Open to new directions, open to new challenges, open to the beauty of just BEING on some days.

 

Thank you for being with me (the me you now really know) on my birthday.

 

X - kd