.05 The Evolution of an Artist

It’s wild to look back and compare my first few products with what I’m making now. Now don’t get me wrong - those first pieces will always be special and hold incredible meaning to me. They’re the foundation on which I’m now experimenting with creativity and new ideas. But the evolution of my art, and me as an artist, has been a very exciting thing for me to experience lately.

Thanks to my ADHD, I have spent 10+ years picking up and putting down a lot of different hobbies. It started with jewelry making, then on to beading (jewelry and embroidery), I made dreamcatchers for a while, then leatherwork, wood burning, I got really into stamping and embossing at one point, lettering, and now, designing coastal shadow boxes. This started out as mosaics only. I loved the variety and color each box offered. But as with all things and ADHD, I got bored fairly quickly. But I knew, could feel, that this path is the exact one I should be on. No second guesses, no uneasiness, just motivation to continue moving forward. So I continued experimenting until I made THE piece. You know the one. The one that opens a fountain of ideas and possibilities that you could never get tired of.

marine gastropods, pt. I

Halfway through this piece, I knew I had my product. The many possibilities were endless, with each board featuring a collection of different shells. Gastropods, bivalve mollusks, corals, seaweeds, echinoderms, crustaceans, each with their own hundreds of different species. I could still continue using my personal finds from the mid-Atlantic east coast region in addition to supporting small business shell dealers on Etsy for items I couldn’t personally collect.

I never in a million years thought I would end up making educational art. It was never on my radar. But the more I thought about it, the more I realized that all of the things I’ve pursued in my life have been leading me to this point. My love for the beach, the many different crafting skills I knew, the ability to hyper focus, it all came together to create a wonderful whirlwind of plans and ideas for the future of my business. And I am so excited for what’s to come.

echinoderms, pt. I