A New Year Begins

As a child, I was always drawing, but no one I knew considered art anything more than a pastime. I studied math and computer science and embarked on a career in software engineering. I always had some creative sideline going, but an identity as an artist was never on the radar screen.

Fast forward into my mid-fifties. I was facing my third act, knowing that whatever I wanted that third act to be, it wasn’t more of the same. My marriage had been on life support for years and I had a demanding and stressful job in an office rife with petty politics. Passion and fulfillment were a distant and seemingly impossible dream. Coaches were at that time encouraging folks to "follow your bliss" and I literally had no idea what that meant. My life was living me rather than me living my life.

It is said that an unstable system will inevitably reach a tipping point, ending in breakthrough or breakdown. A family crisis precipitated that moment for me. Everything broke down. My marriage ended in divorce. I left the city to move back to my rural home town to care for aging parents, and, out of necessity, I began to consciously build a new life.

Gradually, I came to see that the breakdown had actually been a breakthrough. My ex-husband and I remained friends. Our children and grandchildren coped, perhaps even learning something valuable about how roles can change, families can heal, and individuals are free to make this precious life count. I found new love, coming full circle to marry a teenage sweetheart. Most surprising of all, I found a community of artists who encouraged me to own that buried part of myself. It's been a marathon rather than a sprint, but today I am proud to seen, heard, felt, and known as the artist I am. With every day that passes I become more authentically myself.

As I sit here on morning of the first day of a new year, I feel full of possibilities. I will be traveling in a few days to Wichita, KS for the opening of the Abstract National Exhibition. My painting, Rosetta Stone, was chosen by juror, Joan Fullerton, to be included in the exhibit. Out of 787 entries, 90 were chosen for the show, and I am deeply honored to be included. I was recently accepted into the online gallery of Saatchi Art, and new opportunities in traditional galleries of note are taking shape.

Primordial Soup, 24x24", 2025.

Portents 3, 8x8", 2025.

The work I am doing feels solid. I have lots of exciting ideas for experimentation and growth. I am surrounded by a supportive family and a vibrant creative community. Over the past year, I have built out the studio space of my dreams. Without realizing when the shift occurred, I have finally engaged in a meaningful way with the dreaded topic of marketing, and I am getting the mentoring I need to conquer it. I am feeling more deeply confident in myself - in fact, I feel expansive. It's the dawn of a new day and I am ready to soar.

Love and creativity always,

Wanda