My Story, Part 3

It’s the end of February already! Hard to believe. 

The end of the month is always special for my email subscribers because I give them free downloadable wallpapers for their desktop, laptop and phones as well as a free printable calendar. I put mine on my fridge which means that I see it a lot!

If you would like to join my list, please click here and you’ll get these freebies as well as weekly updates from me about my art journey and how a creative practice has changed my life.

I hope you enjoyed my wedding photos from last week’s blog post. It was really fun to find them and choose my favorites.

Here is where we left off in my story...

Getting to Now

Our son, Matthew, was born a few years after Tom and I got married and we moved to beautiful Mill Valley, California. We love Mill Valley with its easy access to San Francisco, hiking, biking and jogging trails and lovely small-town feel.

After my stint in investment banking, I moved into retail and worked for 25 years at global brands including Esprit, Gap and Old Navy. I was hardworking, dedicated, loyal and worked my way up the ladder to the VP level. While these jobs were challenging and rewarding in many ways, something was missing. I couldn’t put my finger on it.

Then, in 2012, I got laid off! It was a huge shock and I was totally unprepared for it. However, it ended up being the best thing that could have happened to me. But I didn't think so at the time!

For several years, I moved from job to job trying to find the right fit for me in the corporate world. I finally realized that I wasn’t going to find what I was looking for there.

When my son left for college, I decided to take some time for myself to explore what might be next for me. I took an online art class called “Y is for Yellow” and it was a revelation.

During this year-long class, I received an email every two weeks with an embedded video outlining a new technique to learn. The class covered drawing, painting, mixed media and many basic techniques that you learn in art school including blind contour drawings, master copies, and much more. I was in heaven! Here are a few pieces from the class.

That experience led me to explore other online art resources. I’ve created a guide called Kickstart Your Art Journey. In it, I review and recommend my top four online art resources. Please download the guide here. It’s intended to help you find a resource that you’ll love.

Fast forward to today and I’m in such a great place! I wake up every day and can’t wait to jump into my latest projects.

Current projects include:

·      creating a new Skillshare class

·      adding direct access to my classes through my website

·      starting Marie Forleo’s b-school

·      continuing my pattern design learning journey

·      adding new art prints to my Society6 shop

This creative space energizes me every day. My dream is to continue to share my journey of discovery with you and encourage you to incorporate a creative practice into your life as well.

I truly believe that art brings joy.

If you are frustrated, feel that something is missing in your life, or keep telling yourself “I can’t draw!”, join me and together you’ll discover that you can draw or paint or collage and that creativity lives within each of us.

Don’t forget: It’s Never Too Late To Create!

xo,

Anne

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Here is an audio version of last week’s blog. Download it and listen on the go. I always throw in extra commentary because I just can’t resist!