Hello and happy Monday to you all! Now with a striking creepy portrait like this, you must keep reading, no?

Do you ever feel like you have nothing to say? Nothing worth sharing? I don’t want to live my life simply so that I can have something to document on my blog. I want to be creative. I want to have time to cook. To be with my family. I want it all to be genuine. No agenda.

I have seen quite a bit of conversation recently in the blog world about the appropriate way to blog. What topics are taboo and how to be original and such. There are great organizations like BlogHer and articles about engaging an audience. Simply, there is no right way or wrong way to blog… to each their own, right?

I am not sure where I want to take this blog, if anywhere. I love having a place to write. To document memories. To chart my growth as a mother and artist. Sure, I have dreams of outgrowing my little Arkansas life. Sometimes I wonder what it would be like to be an “it” blog that people want to read and talk about…. Then I realize that the larger the audience, the more criticism is bound to surface.

I do not know if I can take that criticism right now. It has been a huge challenge for me to even put my artwork out for the world to see. There was a point in my life when I would not even talk about drawing to friends or family. Having a blog and an etsy shop has built my confidence tremendously. And for that, I am thankful for this little online world. Recently a very popular Brazilian Blog did a great feature story on me. I was completely surprised and flattered! However, when I clicked my google translator to read all of the comments, I had my first dose of harsh reality: not everyone likes my work. Some people are outright rude about it. But, the sooner I can learn to handle such criticisms, the more fearless I can become.

So, what am I trying to relay to you, my dear friends? First, I love my blog. I anxiously await new comments and love encouraging feedback. Second, in the past year I have evolved tremendously in my interests and motivations. I no longer live to watch television or take naps…. I want to find a way to tap into my creativity and express myself in the most beautiful way possible. Third, I am continually evaluating my next move. How do I find a way to make a living doing what I love? Is blogging the answer? I hear often of bloggers who can actually make their living writing and sharing lovely things with the world. Is that who I will be in 2 years? 5 years? Perhaps never. But, believe me, most bloggers think about this at some point.

Thank you for listening to me, helping me sort out my thoughts.

Oh, and I now have 100 followers…… I am seriously doing a happy dance right now!

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