What will you do when you grow up? Remember that question? It came from parents, grandparents, teachers, friends, friends of parents… It was something you asked yourself a lot, because being an adult apparently meant having all the answers.
It turns out that adulting is kind of challenging. The lucky folks know what they want and are able to achieve it. Everyone else stumbles on, sometimes having a spark of “ooh, that might be interesting” or “I wonder if…” that flits through their mind until it’s time to go to work again.
That was me. Actually, it’s still me, but I’m starting to get the hang of what I love.
These days my house is full of paint, canvas, resin, beads, wire, chain, and tools I didn’t even know existed a couple of years ago.
“Every child is an artist, the problem is staying an artist when you grow up”
Pablo Picasso
It took quite a while to remember the child inside. Which is funny, because it’s something I try to teach people at work all the time: be innovative, be creative in what you do, don’t let rules and boundaries get in the way of your imagination. That’s me in my job (as well as all the details and deadlines and meetings and… and… and…).
At home, though, I have a room where there’s paint pretty much everywhere. I need to rip up the carpet and put down something easy to clean. I also have a desk loaded with jewellery-making paraphernalia, in-progress bracelets and necklaces, notebooks with ideas, and possibilities.
I’m 48. And that, apparently, is the perfect age to figure out what I want to do when I grow up.
Red Kite Artistry 