Have you ever made a life-altering decision?
Taking Chances
It’s terrifying, but maybe that’s how it works and I’ve finally done it. A few weeks ago I reached a turning point. Even though I have been working towards getting back to my creative side after 8 years off, I had thought I would do it in a part-time way and once the money became dependable, then I would leave work and commit to full-time art. I thought this was a five-year plan.
I have had an incredibly stressful year in my family life. My mother has progressing Alzheimer’s, she is now in a wheelchair and does not really know her previous life. She is well cared for, but the emotional toll of watching her decline is actually much bigger then I could have known. My father spent 8 out of the last 9 months in the hospital – in and out of ICU- and finally stabilized, he has now moved to Long Term Care with his special medical needs, the upside though is that my parents are back together. Alongside all of this, my partner continues to have major health issues – dialysis every other day at home, and he was diagnosed with kidney cancer just before Christmas, one of his kidneys was removed in January. He has recovered reasonably well, but there is a constant worry and living with the unknowns and waiting for future test results can be stressful. Sometimes though, not knowing can be better than living with what doctors do know – often that’s just bad news.
I’ve also struggled with the bigger picture this year, with the horror of wars, the natural disasters and political changes around the globe. It seems to be an uncertain world now and it’s scared me a little.
Life is Too Short
With all of this, I came to two realizations. One- that life is short- I know this seems trite, of course, it is, but it is also true. It’s too short for me to continue to work on something that takes me away from my family, that forces me to make decisions that negatively impact my relationships. Don’t get me wrong, I liked my job, good cause, good people. But life is too short for me not to be cultivating my passion, there really is no better time to do it. Two- the world is a beautiful place, there are beautiful people and an amazing natural world we are privileged to witness. The beauty is getting buried and overlooked by our “busy” and “important” lives and overpowered by scenes of horror in the world. I want to shine a light on the beauty, offer to represent our natural world to help bring it into focus again and share the beauty I see. This is something I need to be doing that all the time, not just on the weekend, or occasionally teaching. I need to be doing it every day.
Cultivating my Passion
I love quilting, I love fibre, I love nature, I love teaching, I love this planet. I’m taking the leap. I’m cultivating my passion. I quit my pay cheque job and I am taking the business of my art seriously. I know in my heart it is the right move. I’m terrified, excited and ready to dive into this. I have no idea where it will lead, but I also know I have to take this road.
I will be taking chances, making changes and trying new things. You can go to my YouTube channel ThreadPaintedArt to watch my recent application video for an upcoming Expedition Canada C3 that will sail around Canada from Coast to Coast to Coast. You can also sign up for my newsletter to keep up with my adventures. It’s going to be a year of changes and challenges!
