Hi Friends!
It's been a wild month. Two shows, our first family vacay with a baby (success!), and dun da da dun - a new job! I'm returning to teaching in the fall and couldn't be more excited! It's been a lot of: interviews, studying, test taking, and wearing hot dress pants in 92 degrees.
So, what's the job? I'm the new art teacher at Anclote Elementary! Are you ready? We're going to make some awesome things in the art room! I've been following fellow art educator, Cassie Stephens for some time and I can't wait to "steal" some of her fun project ideas.
Time for an honesty transition. The decision to return to work full time and leave a studio practice I have worked so hard to build has been rough.
Parenting is filled with lots of joys in direction correlation with many hard calls. Am I doing this right? Will I ever feel attractive again? Is my daughter still breathing? Am I doing enough? Will my husband and I ever get a break? How do we afford all of this?
While I love being in the studio more than anything, it became necessary for my family to have more stability. Motherhood brings many joys but it is NON STOP 24/7 care. Without more help, which requires a large chunk of change, I just don't have the capacity to be in front of the easel much. I say this not to air dirty laundry or seek pity, but because I think vulnerability shows strength. It's an attitude that I employ in my artwork but is not something that comes easy for me in other areas of my life. I have difficulty asking for help. Where you there when I was pushing a stroller, carrying a very full diaper bag, several bags and dragging a tv sized box through a sweltering Wal-Mart parking lot? Despite three separate people stopping me to offer help, I refused? Yeah, that was stupid. Superwoman is a character after all.
Being an artist is hard. Being a mom is harder. Smoosh them together and you get what seems like an impossible life. By admitting that - or rather recognizing - that maybe I can't do it all right now made me feel like a total failure. I say this because someone reading may have thought or will think the same thing. You're not alone! I believe I can do all of the things my talent and hard work desire to, just not all at once. Time to put on my patience pants on!
So, as a result, I'm returning to something that I believe will make me happy, I'll be GREAT at, and will provide my family some ground to stand on.
What does this mean for you?
Commissions will be closed through 2018, as my time and energy are devoted to my students and family. I may re-open the door in 2019 or I may decide to devote that time to making work for myself. Time will tell.
I'll be posting more tutorials! yay! If you haven't seen any of my 1 minute and under quick tutorials, you can see them all here.
I'll be adding lots of fun projects for you to make and enjoy! You can see some here.
I may have to say no. I don't like to but my new position as mom + educator means I can't take you up on the awesome opportunity I would've normally said yes to. Can we still be friends?
Many thanks to all who have followed me, supported me and watched my kiddo while I navigate life.
xo,
Ashley