Welcome to My Midlife Crisis
Well, how did we get here?
Trying to become a full time artist in THIS economy???
I guess like anything else a series of events happened in the right order at the right time which has pushed and enabled me to pursue this crazy dream. Let’s do a little rewind.
In 2019 I took my first fibre arts class through Stash Lounge, a hip, local fibre store here in Calgary, Alberta. It was an introduction to tapestry weaving class, and I was immediately hooked (haha get it?). Many of my early works were predictably hideous but I still had fun doing it so I bought my own loom and supplies and started weaving to relax. I sold a few pieces here and there on Etsy but really this was relegated to hobby status for me.
Also, in 2019 I lost my mom to Mantle Cell Lymphoma. She had been sick a long time, it wasn’t a surprise but it completely unmoored me for a long time after that. Less than a year later my mother in law also passed away from early onset Alzheimers. They were both in their early 60s. It was jarring to see both of these family members not get to live out their promised golden years, previously I had assumed that was kind of a given. Cue the predictable existential crisis!
Then in 2020 nothing significant happened at all - remember?
Ok, so the pandemic hit in 2020 and I mean who among us didn’t pick up a spare hobby or two. Yes, I made sourdough. Yes, I collected 47,000 plants. And yes, I took up pottery! I started taking classes at Workshop Studios (where I still work out of today as a member). For a long time it was just like my fibre arts - I wasn’t very good, but I enjoyed having a creative outlet. Still, I kept that part of my life shelved as a chill, fun pastime.
Then in 2023 I turned 40 (do NOT tell anyone). For my birthday I convinced my husband we should run off to Chile for 2 weeks as a celebration. It was an amazing trip, filled with super creative public art and gorgeous landscapes and culture. I drank half my weight in pisco sours and saw several alpacas.
During that trip I was able to put my increasing dissatisfaction with my corporate job on the backburner. I had worked at the same large company for almost 12 years in HR. It was a good company - I made good money, there were a lot of perks and I had friends there. The corporate life and work never quite fit me like a glove, but it wasn’t like I was desperate to get out. I probably could have spent the rest of my life there “living for the weekend”. Unfortunately, long story short during my last two years and in my final role at the company everything came to a head and I could not find a path forward that included me staying there. I told myself when I was leaving in July of 2023 that I would take a bit of time to regroup and figure out what I wanted to do next. I 1000% assumed what I did next would be a more traditional job just maybe in a different industry or field.
As part of my self imposed sabbatical I signed up for my 3rd and 4th pottery classes respectively. I thought it would be fun to have an activity to fill my time while I sorted my life out. However, I knew being an artist as a career was a ridiculous idea. That kind of thing doesn’t really happen in the real world and I was (and am) terrified at the thought of putting myself out there creatively. I couldn’t tell you exactly when there was a shift in my attitude towards trying to make art my career but by October 2023 I had opened up my online store and I have been creating ever since.
I have been super fortunate with the amount of support and love I have received along the way as I figure out who I am as an artist and person. If you’ve read this far, wow overachiever thank you so much!
I hope you find a connection with my art or at the very least have some fun checking it out!
