I got started as an artist by being born. Without that, I don’t feel I could have accomplished much at all. It wasn’t something I wanted, it was just who I was.

I’m not sure whether training has influenced what I am doing now. The lessons that influence me the most have nothing to do with art supplies or technique. They are about self awareness, connections and learning my place in the universe.

I get so absorbed in what I am doing creatively that the act of creating is enough in itself. I like it when people like what I’ve done, because we get a chance to connect and share our stories. I love what I do, but I’m not so personally connected to the piece as to be offended or hurt if someone doesn’t like it. It was my slow exhalation, and it felt good. I’ve taken another fresh breath since then.

I don’t censor myself for fear of offending someone else.

I do consider my audience when I write or make art. Sometimes people need to be offended. Some people will be offended no matter what. That is none of my business.

It is not my intention to shock or disturb people. Some things might be comfortable for me but uncomfortable for them. I think an honest dialogue can be the most helpful thing. We could differ without needing to persuade each other. We could respect each other without disrespecting ourselves, and go on our way richer than we were before. Seeds can be planted when we least expect it, and grow when we most need it.

When my daughter was 6 years old, she was obsessed with the rings on the playground.

She would swing from ring to ring until her hands were raw and sore. Still, she would want to go back.

She swung through the pain.

I’ve been having muscle aches and back pain that I attribute to throwing pottery. Still, that’s what I think about when I wake up in the middle of the night. I get out of bed early to see how the pots are drying from the day before. I trim them and then climb back in bed.

Yesterday I didn’t do anything with clay because my low back hurt so badly.

Being really good at something is not the same as being a genius. We all have potential greatness in us. There’s something inside that we might not even be aware of, and it just needs an opportunity to manifest itself through us. Maybe you have the potential to be a great glass blower or helicopter pilot. If you never try those things, you’ll never know. There will be a learning curve, so you will have unsuccessful attempts along the way. They’re not really unsuccessful. They are opportunities to learn. I was talking with a friend about Tao Te Ching, and she commented that Lao Tzu was really dialed in when he wrote that. Einstein must have really been dialed in when he thought of e=mc2, or Darwin when evolution by natural selection dawned on him.

Most of us don’t theorize revolutionary ideas like that, but someone does.

A few artists like Leonardo da Vinci would be considered geniuses, but I think we can all be dialed in.. That is personal and will mean something different to everyone. Because of this, we can enlighten and inspire each other.

“Look, it’s all full of colors!”

I’ve been inspired and empowered by many people, beginning with my family.

My mother taught me to be present and interested. She made me feel loved and important to her.

My father taught me to be interested in a vast array of topics. He would look up into the night sky and point out constellations. He always seemed to draw a spiritual lesson. He asked questions that made me think. We lived in a big old house. The door from the dining room to the hall was closed, and there was a marked difference in temperature from the warm dining room to the cold hall at the bottom of the stairway. If I were to put a candle in that open doorway, which direction would the flame lean?

One of us parked our car in the garage in winter, and another parked outside. Everything else being equal, who would get better gas mileage, and why?

What kind of animal lives in a dog house?

He is interested in aviation, language and accents, travel, history, music, astronomy, anatomy and physiology, and shared facts and life lessons with us whenever they came to his mind.

My brother is generous with his interests. I’ve heard it said that an interesting person is one who is interested in others. My brother joined me in my pursuit of our family tree. He pays attention to detail in a way that doesn’t come naturally to me. I seek out people to talk to which may not always be comfortable for him.

He took up a challenge from one of my blog posts and drew the same thing over and over, and shared the results with me.

He validated me at a time when I felt lost and defensive.

Each of my brothers is brilliant and creative, and each one has unique areas of interest and knowledge. Each of them is an inspiration to me.