I have never strived for the straight and narrow. If everyone’s going left, I’ll wander aimlessly to the right. Following curiosity and intuition has been cornerstones in leading my path over the years. Becoming a professional artist has long been the result of exploration for me, where making things by hand was the natural means to exercise this instinct. The path however has never been straight, not even upwards, but it’s been continuous, and as I look down the line of nearly 40 years behind me it’s safe to say I ‘ve always leaned into the unordinary.

I am writing now with the sound of Italian school kids playing under the balcony, where the warm spring sun is nurturing early seeds, and can glimpse onto the rolling Tuscan hills in the distance. Sounds like a dream, right? In some ways it is, but in most I still find myself working tirelessly to ‘build’ the dream, instead of truly living it. It’s one of the sacrifices on this path; Where security becomes a luxury, and every day am faced with the task of foraging for the ones ahead. It's no secret that following a career in the arts is almost never about the money; Instead we talk about the ‘passion’ and ‘discovery of true self’, like a magic wand is guiding us through. And don’t get me wrong, it's just about been my life’s mission to create and live in a world that is mine and no one else's- and I have not for a single day, even on the hardest days, regretted taking that path.

So how do we do it? If pursuing a career and life as an artist is meant to be our path, how can it possibly work? Firstly we need to have a long and hard realization about value and sacrifice. What do you truly value, and what are you willing to live without? Fear of the unknown has almost never been a deterrent for me, in fact the ability to lean into it has been my strength. If I believe something could be a key to something bigger, and that something bigger excites me- I’m going for it. Instead Independence and flexibility have been major factors in what I strive for. Simply, I do not like being told what to do. I do not like to live with constraints, I want to be able to manage my time and responsibilities without permission- a leading reason why living a 9-5 job could never be for me. I value my time, I value my freedom, and I value my space- mentally and physically, to create. These are the things I am less willing to compromise when taking on new endeavors. Get clear on your genuine wants and needs, and it’s the first step in moving in the right direction.

That leads me to sacrifice. I’ll preface by saying we don’t have to feel good about the sacrifices, but the trade off may be something not negotiable. I can also say that I’ve recognized I have no problem ‘doing without’; I don’t envy living a life of excess, material consumerism, or handing off tasks in things I am fully capable of doing myself. I was fortunate enough to have some of these luxuries growing up- but my emotional response is triggered greater by experiences, rather than things. And it's helped me maintain peace of mind when having little is an effect of obligation, and no longer a choice. This awareness became fundamental, realizing and accepting what I may be sacrificing as I pursued my dreams.

I am officially approaching my 5 year anniversary living abroad, in a country that is surely not known for its abundance of opportunity- artist or otherwise. But I’ve made it work, and that includes the gut-wrenching pandemic years, with its lingering effects. I have made it work through resilience, perseverance, creative thinking, optimism, ambition, taking risks, being close to the edge (oh so close), and ultimately the true desire to see it through. Like many creative professionals, work becomes a smorgasbord of different jobs and activities, often coming and going, that collectively build a platform to survive. In any given week I can find myself creating paintings to sell, leading art workshops, teaching, designing, or making illustrations- each with their own responsibilities to juggle and give attention to. And yes, it’s exhausting. A whirlwind of ups and downs and challenges of uncertainty. But those values. Independence, flexibility to change and ultimately taking charge of my own decisions have been achieved. I live in a beautiful place of inspiration; and can wake each day, slowly put on the moka while listening to the kids playing below and, in the moment, choose exactly what it is I’m going to do next.