finding the creativity again...

I am on a new creative journey and it is makin' this girl a happy one!

So, for months I've been wanting to get back into the school scene and get this whole degree thing done, but the timing has been way off... aka: the Lord has other plans for me. :)

Anyone who truly knows me, knows this past year has been particularly difficult.  I've desperately needed something in my life to lift my spirits; and for me that typically comes through using creativity.  God created us and therefor is a creative being, so why would it never cross my mind that He created us to be creative beings as well!?  This is probably why I am my happiest when I am doing something creative with my time. {my light bulb moment} 

One evening while the house was completely quiet I began thinking about the future.  As I said before, this past year has been a tough one, and in all honesty my confidence has been shaken quite a lot.  I just wanted so badly to do something just for me that would not only lift my spirits, but also give me the creative confidence boost I need. Knowing that school isn't an option right now, I kept trying to focus on using the creative skills I already have, but as I mentioned, am lacking in the confidence department. Knowing my love for design I wanted to do something related to that field without having to take on clients, projects and major work loads.  The design field is not a place for someone lacking confidence... art and design are so completely subjective... and either your clients love your work or they hate it.  I'm just not sure I want my work criticized in any way right now... even a constructively criticized way.

So, this quiet evening as I thought about the future I kept getting this "nudge" to look into graphic design.  Honestly I had never thought about graphic design before.  In my mind graphic design was all about logos, branding and web design...and for what ever reason that didn't sound appealing in any way.  Months went by and this "nudge" just kept coming back, so I finally started looking up some programs some friends had mentioned... I instantly felt an excitement I hadn't felt in a really long time, and... I enrolled in the course the very next day.  So, it's not technically school.  It's just a month long online course learning the in's and out's of Illustrator.  I'm one week into it and completely in LOVE!!! I may have a new obsession. ;)

My first official design... a 16x20 adjectives poster for my little miss.

I didn't really think anything of it... the idea originally came from an assignment (design a poster using only text), but when little miss saw it her face immediately brightened up.  She began asking questions and I could tell she loved knowing that I know all of these things about her.

If I gain nothing else out of this experience, this little moment with little miss made this side journey completely worth it!