WTF am I doing?

I left a 20 year teaching career to become an artist. On paper it seems crazy, irresponsible even - I’m a mum with commitments after all. And it was a good career! I (mostly) taught art to teenagers and encouraged them to grow into their best selves. I was a middle leader of a high school, a House Director of Pastoral Care for nearly 8 years. The vocation was rewarding, meaningful and I was respected and highly regarded for my impact in those roles. It was not an easy decision to walk away from something I always thought added to my sense of self. And to move toward the unknown, where I’m a nobody, with novice skills, it was scary AF. But it felt necessary.

People said I was brave, that it was a courageous thing to do. Maybe it is. Maybe the brave thing is telling the truth. And my truth was that not making art was hurting my soul. I had hundreds of ideas and visions of paintings I wanted to make and tens of thousands of photos I’d collected as reference material for ‘when I had time’. But when would that be? When my children had grown (not like they stop needing you to show up though)? Or maybe when the demands of school slowed down (as if) or there weren’t any more students to teach (never) or when I retired. Hmm… that last one irked me the most. What if I don’t get a retirement - time is finite and the length of it isn’t guaranteed. I know in my bones that if I was forced to face my mortality early I would regret knowing all my art would die with me.

That knowledge became like a high pitched scream I couldn’t ignore, so set to work on changing my life, and by consequence, my family’s too. First, I stepped down from my leadership role and went part-time (3 days per week). However, despite my best efforts, I just couldn’t ‘do less’ with my teaching and found I’d regularly chew up my studio days with preparation or marking for my classes. Progress was slow and I felt like I was doing all my jobs poorly.

So after 12 months part time I resigned. This felt huge and dangerous. Untethered. My nervous system was totally accustomed to operating permanently on high-alert (as all teachers will understand) and it took months of walking, journaling and training to adjust to a new normal. To be honest, I’m still finding my way, but nearly 18 months on and I’ve got a good balance of relief teaching 2-3 days per week and working in the studio the rest of the time. I have been offered contract and permanent teaching jobs several times, and while the security might be tempting, I hold firm in the pursuit of a different life, one that is authentically mine.

Showing UP

This is a shout out to the community gallery spaces. I found this a great place to start showing my artwork. The fees (if any) are small and it’s generally a

A quick google of your local and neighbouring areas will reveal the spaces available for you to join (often with a very small annual fee). I reached out to Gawler Community Gallery and Kapunda Gallery to start getting involved.

Don’t worry about sounding professional. Sound like you. There are over 1.5 billion websites out there, but your story is what’s going to separate this one from the rest. If you read the words back and don’t hear your own voice in your head, that’s a good sign you still have more work to do.

Be clear, be confident and don’t overthink it. The beauty of your story is that it’s going to continue to evolve and your site can evolve with it. Your goal should be to make it feel right for right now. Later will take care of itself. It always does.

Blog Post Title Three

It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more. Or maybe you have a creative project to share with the world. Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.

Don’t worry about sounding professional. Sound like you. There are over 1.5 billion websites out there, but your story is what’s going to separate this one from the rest. If you read the words back and don’t hear your own voice in your head, that’s a good sign you still have more work to do.

Be clear, be confident and don’t overthink it. The beauty of your story is that it’s going to continue to evolve and your site can evolve with it. Your goal should be to make it feel right for right now. Later will take care of itself. It always does.

Blog Post Title Four

It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more. Or maybe you have a creative project to share with the world. Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.

Don’t worry about sounding professional. Sound like you. There are over 1.5 billion websites out there, but your story is what’s going to separate this one from the rest. If you read the words back and don’t hear your own voice in your head, that’s a good sign you still have more work to do.

Be clear, be confident and don’t overthink it. The beauty of your story is that it’s going to continue to evolve and your site can evolve with it. Your goal should be to make it feel right for right now. Later will take care of itself. It always does.