Roller Skating & Taxidermy

While scrolling through years of photographs I found this polaroid from my 7th birthday party. Conveying your interests back in the eighties was simple. With a quick glance, it’s obvious to anyone that….”I ❤️’d skating”, BIG TIME! My dramatic look was one of exhaustion from skating for countless hours. I also realize my age had a lot to do with the simplicity of the message conveyed. But, as adults we don’t necessarily have the freedom to wear our hobbies, interests or work on our rompers. OK! I have been known to wear clothing covered in flowers and animals. 😅. Instead, we primarily communicate verbally & online & this is proving to be a challenge for me as I navigate major changes in my life.

For the past twenty years, dressed in flora & fauna, I prioritized my family’s needs over mine; supporting my husband Mike in his professional endeavors which monopolized his time & energy, & I dedicated my time & energy to raising our three daughters. I had found this role to be rewarding but there are regrets. Mike has achieved great success professionally & I’m grateful for the memories & priceless time spent with the girls. But, I regret not making my dreams and passions a priority for so many reasons. Most notably because my marriage went to shit, & I can’t fall back on my twenty year career of supporting Mike’s career. 🙄

Despite losing sight of my identity, I fortunately know exactly who I am. I earned a BS in Business Administration and spent twelve years working in the hospitality industry & it turns out…this is not who I am. My life leading up to & following my career in hospitality was & is full of exploration & creativity which is truly what feeds my soul. As a result of divorce, I have found the freedom, time & space to dedicate towards a career in the Arts capitalizing on the skills & talents that bring me joy & releasing those that don’t serve a purpose anymore.

It’s an exciting place to be in but it also feels quite vulnerable and leaves me with alot of questions. What creative talent will I tap into? How will I translate my creativity into $$$? How do I communicate what I’m doing? A friend suggested that I simply START & also to not limit myself to one field.

In my newfound freedom untethered from the narrative & role I’ve assumed for twenty years I am embarking on my journey of pursuing my creative dreams & passions. I’m elevating my interior design skills thru the NY Institute of Art & Design & pursuing my RIDQC certification. I have set forth defining my brand & developing a website to share my portfolio of work. The process is overwhelming but I truly haven’t been more excited about the future than I am now. I feel fortunate to have connected with the talented @bcareyinc who completely SEES & GETS me, & we are diligently carving out my niche in the creative world which includes learning the Art of Taxidermy. Yep, TAXIDERMY. 🤓 My first classes are this weekend in Los Angeles starting with BIRDS 101. You must know that I wouldn’t just take any taxidermy class??!!??!!😜

So, while I’m in this limbo space & want to share what’s going on AND & don’t have a professional way of doing that…..I’ve decided to share in a simple juvenile 1980s way, swipe left 👈, with a skunk on my chest which suggests…”I ❤️ skunks” (always have) which can be loosely translated to…..”I ❤️ Taxidermy” (always have.) 🦨🐦‍⬛