Wish me luck!

Here are the three prototypes we are going to present to an important client tomorrow. I am so proud how all of us worked together to make these ideas come to life. How nice it is to work for a company that is small enough to allow us to brainstorm while combining our individual talents, yet large enough to implement the ideas we deem viable. Wish me luck! The idea behind the mock-ups are to show the colors, textures and seasons of our rural (yet becoming more suburban everyday) county.

This experience makes me think back to where I was:

20 years ago... going to college taking an overload of classes, working three jobs, wanting so badly to have they type of job I have now.

10 years ago... married and mother of a kindergartener, working full-time at a retail store, barely making ends meet, dreaming that someday I would work as an artist.

5 years ago... different job, same retailer, working as an inventory anaylst, trying to incorporate some artwork into my job making breakroom posters.

Now. I have the job I imagined as a small-town student in high school. Back then I didn't understand that being an artist wasn't "pie-in-the-sky." I knew I wanted to be creative. I wanted to use the talents God gave me, but had no idea how that could be possible. To be honest, up until this point in my life it wasn't possible. I didn't have the self-confidence or determination to succeed that I do now.

And as happy as I am with work, I have such a flurry of activity at home as well. I've started painting again. I'm making jewelry. My goal this year is to be in a gallery. My creative life doesn't simply happen at home anymore. My job is fueling my creativity at home and vice versa. How blessed I am in this respect.