“Your test scores weren’t very high. You should look at attending trade school, not a college or university. Have you considered becoming a mechanic or a welder?”
These words came from my high school guidance counselor after receiving my SAT score results the end of my junior year of high school. I was devastated. These words carried a ton of shame and embarrassment for a kid who was always encouraged to get a higher education and dreamed big.
I wasn’t an academic but I was always highly creative, a great problem solver and budding artist. I wanted a career where I could use my creativity. Not that welding and mechanics arn't creative but I had never shown any aptitude or interest in either discipline. Anyone who took the time to ask or to pay attention would have know about my interest and passion for art. But my counselor didn’t take the time to ask or listen. I thought she held the secret to understanding building a successful life and career path and I took her word as gospel.
“Believe nothing, no matter where you read it, or who said it, no matter if I have said it, unless it agrees with your own reason and your own common sense.”
Buddha
I left the meeting completely deflated. Feeling destined to a career that didn’t fit me. Limited by a belief set by someone who didn’t know me or take the time to get to know me. At that point in my life I needed someone that was on fire with possibility, a mentor with an innovative spirit to help an unconventional student, like me, that didn’t fit an academic mold. I at least needed someone that could talk me through my options and help understand what a better fit for me could be.
I didn’t go to trade school after I graduated. Or college. Or university. Instead, I took a job and soon after I got married and started a family. It took me 10 years and a lot of life experience to challenge the words of that counselor. I started community college with two kids in tow, determined to learn a marketable skill. I settled on Technical Illustration & Graphic Design and earned my AS degree in just a year and a half during a stint in Texas while my husband served in the U.S. Coast Guard.
My training helped set me on a path toward a creative career in graphic design, using some of the creative skills that I longed to nurture. Over my career, I advanced to leadership roles where I was hard pressed to find a connection to my creative side. There were projects where creative direction was needed and creative problem solving was always employed but I tucked aside my artistic pursuits for weekends or precious found time.
Fast forward 30 years and I’ve come to a shift. No longer held to corporate roles and timelines and less familial responsibilities, I’m free to pursue art for arts sake. I have an art studio filled to the brim and I’ve immersed myself into learning new art methods, materials and tools. I bought a kiln and have been making lots of wonky stuff. I’m learning to use my marketing skills for promoting my own art business and I'm enjoying sharing my art with the world. I’m finding it to be such a great connection point to others and expressing myself in new and interesting ways. I’m loving that I can use my skills for good. For helping a cause I care deeply about or teaching someone the joy of art as creative self expression.
It’s taken me over 40 years to find my way back to my art in the way that has deepest meaning for me. No longer do I feel the rush to produce art purely for the sake of money. I can focus on art for a purpose, to share a story or promote a cause or infuse a bit of joy into the world.
I don’t regret the path I’ve taken. I feel honored to have had the opportunities I’ve had. I’ve worked with some of the brightest, kindest and most wonderful people over the years. I feel like my work has had purpose and that I’ve made a difference. I’ve loved serving as a coach and mentor to my teams and watching them grow professionally and personally. No regrets but there are always lessons. If I could whisper one thing to my 17-year-old self, it would be this: Follow your heart, trust your art, and never let someone else’s limited vision define your path.
