Allow Me To Introduce Myself...

Welcome to my first blog post! I wanted to start off by telling y’all about myself and how I came to this place of artistry. My mom was an artist when I was growing up and I would see her work and wanted to do the same. But, like her, I was conditioned to believe that making art could not be a career. So, after a number of changes regarding what I wanted my college major to be, I chose art education. I worked as an art teacher for 15 years but was usually too tired by the end of day to create my own art. It got to a point that I ended up packing away the area I’d dedicated for my art because I felt like a failure as I looked at the art I wasn’t producing. You could definitely say I was in a rut.

Last year, I took a risk and left my current position with the goal of pursuing an administrative role in education. I wanted to use the expertise that I’d gained from my many years in the classroom to be a voice in building a curriculum that truly connected the intellectual, emotional AND creative parts of a student. Unfortunately, I did not get the position I wanted BUT I did get back into making art for myself amidst sending out numerous applications - 64 to be exact - yikes! It was then that I decided to try to make a go of this artist thing (though I did end up taking another job because, you know, bills….but that’s a topic for another time).

During this time of reinvention, I wanted to immerse myself in art by curating my Instagram feed with artists and listening to art podcasts. By virtually surrounding myself with other artists who were at various points within their own creative journeys, I was able to envision the success I was striving for. Two podcasts, in particular, gave me the encouragement I needed: Kick In The Creatives and Art Juice. The humorously-delivered content by the hosts of both of these provided me not only with a vast amount of information but much-needed inspiration as well. I would highly recommend you give these podcasts a listen and check out the IG feeds of the artists!

My art is inspired by personal life experiences and traveling as well as connections among people and community. However, music is a primary source. My dad was a musician and from the time I was walking and talking, a myriad of genres have flowed through me. Funny story: when I was two years old I “escaped” my mom’s grasp and “stormed” the stage where my dad was performing and later, I was told, claimed “when a song comes on, I just have to take the bottle out of my mouth and jam”.

So what’s to come? My goal with this blog is to build a connection with other artists, enthusiasts, patrons, educators and anyone in between. I will be writing about what I am currently working on, what’s inspiring me, techniques I am testing out and anything else I feel like sharing. I hope you’ll join me on my wild journey!

In Art & Solidarity,

Marla