Glitter Glue

For the past few days, I head to my desk as soon as I wake up. I clear it of all things related to work, computer, keyboard, random sticky notes from the day before and replace them with my watercolors.

I sit at my desk with coffee in hand and greet the day while creating. It’s my special quiet time where I get to explore a piece of myself I had lost connection with. It wasn’t until recent months that I started painting again.

I have had a rocky relationship with art. As a child, I loved nothing more than to draw, paint, and create. My parent's fireplace holds the proof of it, if you look close enough you can still see bits of glitter glue dried in its cracks. It was my drafting table and glitter glue was my medea of choice.

Just like me, as I got older my art had to have a certain image. I wanted it to replicate my favorite artists, be trendy, and for my friends to like it. What I would create was joyless and had no reflection of me.

And eventually, I just quit. Well not completely, many designs were created while I sat through calls and longer than necessary staff meetings.

Even though I had left it, art never left me. It surfaced in tiny ways. I would still smile when looking at people’s unique creations and would buy a new piece from a local artist every time I traveled.

I am grateful to have returned to art, but I am not the same person who painfully labored over replicating Pinterest illustrations. Today I am someone who wants to create beautiful flawed things that bring my joy. I want my art to be dreamy, soft, and for me.

Though it's not something I would ever want to be tattooed on my body, my art is exactly what it needs to be. It reminds me of love and joy and beautiful stories.

This art is completely my own. I am excited to keep allowing myself to create and to be honest, I wouldn’t mind seeing a little dried glitter glue on my desk.