- I, too, wanted to be an artist as a kid! I love art, and my dad really inspired me to consider that path. However, since then I have been pulled to other career interests, but I still love to admire craftsmanship and do the unexpected.
- Our family got to travel all over the US to different arts shows! While I don’t think I realized how cool it was as a kid, I see now that traveling through much of the Western half of the country was one of the greatest experiences of my young life, and I can really only thank my parents for that. The artists we met, the cities we saw, and the festivals we enjoyed rank amongst some of my favorite childhood adventures.
- “Vacations” were usually “work in disguise.” The locations and timing of the art festivals we attended mostly determined where our next family trip would take place. For my sister Cailey and I, this was both very exciting and very boring. I don’t think we always understood why mom and dad wanted to stay at the furniture booth and talk to strangers rather than swim in the pool, but at least we had each other to play with.
- I saw the behind-the-scenes of a small business. Both my mom and dad work mostly from home, which means that the “to-dos” seem to be constantly present. Living with my parents also meant living with the business, as work has never really been physically separate from personal life.
- I learned that being your own employer has its ups and downs. It’s not easy to start, maintain, and grow a business, and there are many twists and turns in the journey. Artists have an especially unique set of difficulties, including a tension between being able to put food on the table and making art they feel truly inspired to create.
- I saw how self discipline and a persistent attitude are essential in owning your own business. My parents had a vision and many bumps along the road to its fulfillment. By sticking with their dream and believing in themselves, they have created something brilliant and unique.
- My parents had a flexible schedule that allowed them to attend practically all of my school events. Not that I was involved in much… but having my parents at choir concerts and performances was really neat, and not something that every kid experiences.
- Until I had my first job, I didn’t know that many people have to respond to other people for employment! Washing huge quantities of dishes at 7:00 AM? Not something I was expecting to do in my life. My last four jobs, however, have all involved some form of dirty dish handling at times I would much rather have been doing something else, so I am much more comfortable with the notion now.
- I got to watch first hand the power, struggle, and joy of following creative genius. Few things are as satisfying as making something out of nothing and materializing what only seems possible in imagination. The times when my dad made a piece wholly out of his own volition and in the way that seemed right to him, he created truly amazing pieces. Its not easy to follow this genius, but the results are magnificent.
- I got to see how living your dream is never easy, but always worth the effort. Every person has creative vision, and the ability to transform her life! Creativity is present in both my dad’s art and the way my parents came together to build a business. The potential is literally everywhere! I am grateful that my parents showed me that you can build anything imaginable.