kids & art

Over the past few months, my thought life has been consumed by curiosities and wondering as to what my future will hold. While there still is a plethora of questions dancing around my head, I have come to one conclusion: Whatever I end up doing, it must incorporate two things: kids and art.

The above picture was taken at the Elegant Farmer. A few months after I started working at the Milwaukee Rescue Mission, I had the pleasure of serving as a leader for the school's field trip to the pumpkin farm. I was a lucky girl in that I got to hang out with the K5 class all day, and was specifically matched with 3 of the most amazing little girls: Diamond, Azaria and Yanceiyah. I'd only been there for a few months, but in such a short time, I found myself loving these little kids so much... So much that I knew I could dedicate my life to helping them realize their potential, encouraging them to follow their dreams, and being a cheerleader in their lives.

Unfortunately, my life took a different path, and I ended up leaving the Mission despite my love for the kids I came to know. Not a day goes by though, that I don't think about those kids. I have a handful of pictures of them posted in my cubical at work, and am often asked about them. I'm able to proudly tell stories about them, and remember the life-changing moments I had with them... They really did change my life.

In addition to kids, art has always been a HUGE part of my life. As a child, I was always doing stuff: doodling on anything and everything, drawing with chalk, painting, making sculptures out of Playdoh, and more... As a high school student, I took as many art/drawing classes that I could, and I even started out as an art student in college. At some point, in my early 20's, I became really hard on myself and self-conscious about my artwork, and even had a few people crush my dreams about art being a part of my life. I decided to walk away. And yet, that desire to create has always been nagging me at the back of my mind.

So, I've come to a conclusion... My life MUST include kids and art. What that looks like, I don't know just yet. I've considered art therapy, art education, elementary education, and child psychology... I still don't know what path to take... But having this sort of clarity - to know what I'm most passionate about - is such a rad feeling!

Over the next few months, I hope to find opportunities where I can explore this passion, finding practical ways to figure out what path I should take. I hope to take art classes. I hope to work with kids. I hope to learn Spanish, giving me the ability to connect with even MORE kids in Milwaukee. I hope to find more people with the same passions as mine...

I can't wait to see what's ahead...