What was your hobby when you were a kid? What did you want to be when you grew up? What is something you are really good at? Your lost art?
When the kids started being gone more and I had to figure out what to do if I weren’t bossing people around and working, I started thinking of all the things I loved to do before I had kids. I loved to dance (reopened my dance company), I loved to write (I am definitely writing more!), and I loved to paint. So, a few years ago I gathered up supplies and started painting again. How different my paintings are now then when I was in high school! Landscapes and still lifes, fashion design and drawings of cats made way for paintings of farms and farm animals, of praying nuns and villages. Looking at a painting, one can see the artist’s soul, their utmost desires and needs, their joys and sadness, their inspirations.
When we moved last March, everything was put up and I haven’t done many paintings of late. How easy it is for us to get lost in our world of working, errands, play, children, spouses, to-do lists and lose the essence of our expression.
My paintings will be shown at the coffee shop in Elizabeth next month. I would love to have some new paintings out to show. One can tell that I am not putting as much energy into painting as I could as I sell roughly one painting a year. I can’t do art shows near our town because everyone only knows me as the herbalist. Last year I did my first art show since school. I kid you not, every single person came up and said, “Where are your tinctures?” “Do you have any Allergy medicine?” “No? How about Stress and Blues?” “Oh, who’s the artist?” I would send everyone to the shop. Doug had a stellar day; I did nothing! Then things got busy and the paints got put up.
People are often intrigued by the paintings of the nuns. Baffled and interested at the same time. I paint nuns because I had every intention of becoming one. After watching Haley Mills in “Trouble with Angels” I decided that is what I wanted to be. I already made my way by myself to mass often. I loved the peace and serenity one could find in prayer and the beauty of the Catholic church simply amplified that. I love helping people and it just all seemed to be a good fit. Apparently being pregnant is frowned upon when becoming a nun, however! And of course I realized my true path in life is as a mother and wife. I cannot imagine anything better. But my desire for peace and tranquility, for serenity and prayer comes through that set of paintings.
The farm animals, the New Mexican paintings all speak of what I really want. I have more paintings in my mind, one of my son Andrew, Maryjane needs to be immortalized in acrylic (though I could never do her justice), a table of brightly colored chilies, a barn, a child praying…..no pastels, only vivid colors.
What hobbies do you hope to start up again?
Farmgirl School 
My interest is not in a hobby I lost along the way, but a hobby that I never really found along the way. I would very much like to learn how to sew. Specifically, I want to learn to quilt.
Never too late and really not difficult!
When I was a child I wanted desperately to be a cowboy (cowgirls were wimps then, I wanted to be a boy) and to live in Colorado. I imagined that the clouds on my Illinois horizon were the Rocky Mountains and dreamed of riding across the prairie. God heard my prayers and I am indeed on the Colorado prairie! My daughter has the horse and alas I never learned to ride but that is really for the best because I have asthma and couldn’t care for a large animal properly.
Great story! I always wanted to be a Native American!
Lost hobbies are like familiar old boots/trainers: when you try them back on it’s surprising how well they fit and how much they still suit you. What’s more, jumping back in reminds you of the person you were and the person you could have been. It’s invigorating to experiment with alternative incarnations of yourself. Great to hear about someone who’s taking the time to get to know their other selves.
John, what is your hobby that you want to pursue?
Writing, I’m already doing it slowly. Got about 3 novels on the go and one long fictional story made using ‘Rory’s story cubes’ that I started on my toy blog and moved onto my writing blog. Feels great to get even a little bit of writing done every now and then 🙂 sounds like you’re having the same experience with your painting.
I always wanted to learn ballet. When I was a young girl we would alway drive pass this ballet studio in Phoenix and even asked my parents if I could take lessons. But, unfortuently my parents could never afford to pay for classes. Listening to music and watching professional dancers always inspires me. You could ask, “Why don’t you take ballet lessons?” and I guess I could, but then again as my parents voice would pop up and say, ” You can’t afford it and its probably too expensive.” I used to love creating snowflakes by a “lost” art called qulling and used to enjoy cross sticking, but over the years my eyes have a hard time seeing smaller items, but that is just an excuse as I can just get a nice bright light and I can see again. 🙂
Adult classes start April 4th! We are learning jazz, tap, salsa, hip hop, and ballet! It’s just moms who love to dance with no prior experience! $100 for 3 months of lessons. http://www.elizabethdance.com We’ll see you there Liza!
Seriously?!! I’m going to check out your website. I can salsa a little bit… if you have hispanic blood in you.. you learned watching your moms and abuela’s shake it at family weddings 🙂
I would love to learn to use the spinning wheel. where and how would I go about learning this and how expensive is everything to get started