Artist's Statement

I create because I have the ability. I create because I have found inspiration. 

I create mostly because its fun.

When I make something- a story, a jewelry piece, a quilt- I am doing one of two things: reflecting back the world as I see it, or trying to capture the beauty of it. I am something of a perfectionist, because my creations are also reflections of myself- what I'm learning, how I can improve, and what I am interested in at the time.

I have struggled with low energy levels for years, and when I dedicate that energy to anything creative, I care about it. I don't want to just throw something together and say "Look, I did art!" I want to create something that is worth what I put into it, a piece I can be proud of.

I find this easiest to achieve with jewelry. If I don't like it, I can usually re-do whatever did not work and salvage most of my materials. I can do much the same with sewing or needle crafts- just rip it out and try again. This is much more difficult with paper crafting, resulting in many abandoned projects.

Writing, however, is where I have the hardest battle. Nothing ever seems to be "good enough." I can start the same plot over and over and still not come away with anything I can stand to reread. Often, I become so frustrated with my inability to transition the story in my head onto the page that I drop the story altogether, often not writing again for months.

I am trying to change this about myself. To learn to work with my drafts, finish one thing and then improve slowly over time, instead of expecting everything to come out right the first time.

Now that I'm getting my creative energy back, I hope I'm up for the challenge.