Commitment to Creativity….Commitment to You

There is less than a month to go till I’m back to work as an “Art Teacher”.  Till those first weeks of bliss when the students are on their best behavior and the teachers have NOT gone all the way cranky yet! Just the thought of being back in the classroom again brings butterflies in my stomach!  Part of my heart can’t wait to get back in the swing of sharing the joys of Creativity on a daily basis, and a part of me is already beginning to mourn the loss of this seamless celebration of my own Creativity.  So this is when I need to remind myself that like everything in life, our Creativity has its seasons too.  Before Hansel and I moved, before school released for summer break, I felt pregnant with Creativity–I kept whining here on Dirty Footprints even that I was ready..that something was on the way.  Then the season miraculously changed and I have been busy giving birth to paintings, drawings, and creative adventures!

Now, under the influence of last night’s Full Moon, I am thinking completely of commitment. What is my life’s mission?  What is my duty on this planet this beautiful lifetime?   What is the essence of my life’s work?

The answer came to me as I thought about how I came to being an Art Teacher in the first place.  I never meant to travel in this direction.  I had lots of different ideas when I was in my early 20’s.  I tried on a lot of different hats–all colorful from being part of the Art World in some form or fashion..but then one day I accepted the position of Art Educator at the Cleveland Museum of Art.  That’s when I first heard what the Universe was asking of me.

Much to my surprise, I was really good at being an Art Educator in a museum. Sure  I loved sharing all the juicy stories I collected about Artists and Art periods from my studies in Art History. But I started to fall in love more with watching others discover their own creativity.  I became addicted to progress and learning and finding such glory in artistic failures!  I started to enjoy the way young children celebrate when you pull out Art Supplies, and savor the moments when adults finally put down their fears and self doubt and made themselves vulnerable to themselves!

But it’s been over ten years since those early days in the Museum.  I’ve learned so much, about Art, Creativity, teaching others–guiding others–manifesting a nurturing environment.  I finally decided to dive deeper and get my teacher’s licensure, and then I learned methods, techniques, and basically lingo that you use in the presence of administrators!  Now I was officially an “Art Teacher” and couldn’t wait to have my own classroom to inhabit every day.   And with this leg of the journey, where I find myself now, I never expected this landscape either…and there has been moments of great struggle, times I’ve really questioned the Universe and its request of me.  But there have been moments when I feel completely aligned with the planets and the oneness of everything…because I’m living what the Universe has requested of me.

So, on the tail spin of the Full Moon…I’m reaffirming my commitment to Creativity and Art.  Sure, commitment is a little easier to enter in when you have YOU at the center of this act.  But my commitment today goes deeper…to honoring my place in this lifetime that we all share.   I commit myself to nurturing creativity in others, as well as myself.  I commit to bringing Art into life.  I commit to remembering ALWAYS that this is my commitment–even through the fog that life can place in front of us.

There are going to be some changes happening here in Dirty Footprints Studio soon.  I can’t wait for you to see!! And, in my commitment to sharing the beauties of Creativity and Art, Dirty Footprints Studio Talk is back on air starting this Friday with a conversation on Expressive Arts with the wonderful, magical Silky Hart of  Expressive Hart. For more information on times if you want to listen live please visit HERE.  But Friday afternoon I will have a player posted for you to listen to our amazing conversation anytime as you get your creative groove on yourself!

For those of you not sure what I’m talking about, Dirty Footprints Studio Talk is a radio show podcast I host HERE where in the past I have interviewed such Creative Chicas as:

Leah Piken Kolidas from Creative Everyday

Christine Reed of BlissChick & Marcy Hall of Ordinary Enchantment

Jennifer from Gallery Girl & Corrine from JafaBrit’s Art

Elana Rego from Lunar Musings 

Jennifer Hugon from Jennyfur’s Sketchbook & Oddities

Peace & Love.