Not Quitting my day Job

I’ve only restarted painting in October of 2024. Since then, I’ve averaged one painting a month. And while that may not seem like a record pace, it’s been a major feat for me after this creative process of mine had been sidelined for nearly seven years!

A bit about me- I’m not an artist by profession, at least, it’s not my “day job”. I’m actually a licensed therapist at my own private practice, “Roots and Branches Counseling” that I co-own with my husband, who is also a therapist!

That said my office has a beautiful view of the Deschutes River. There are bald eagles diving for fish in the winter, and paddle boarders and kayakers galore in the summer. I feel like I’m perched up in a treehouse from my office, and even when I’m working, it feels so grounding to look out over all the trees and feel so connected to nature even while I’m inside helping people release trauma from their nervous systems.

The Inspiration for my Paintings

Which brings me to a perfect segue - have you noticed a common theme in my paintings? Trees. There’s so much we can learn from trees. How even some of the biggest and boldest connect together underground by holding onto each other’s roots. How they share resources and nutrients through their root system or connected fungi. How some are resilient to fire, and even proliferate further after the flames recede. How they adapt to varied environments, despite all odds. How they reach for sun. And how they rest in the winter.

I find my painting process to transport me into a completely different state of being. Time completely warps, and everything starts to feel fluid and flowing. I guess this is what people refer to as “flow state”. It fits. It’s completely counter to so much of the rest of my day-to-day life - I’m a mom of two kids and a go-getter, so without something like painting, I rarely experience my mind feeling so smooth and un-interrupted.

How I got here

I was a highly artistic kiddo and continued in my creative process through college classes. I went to graduate school and during that time art got majorly sidelined (it was probably one of the grueling schedules of my life!) I did, however, change jobs in the latter part of grad school which allowed me some more time to create. I ended up selling pieces through Etsy, and doing commissions, but it sort of sucked the joy of out it for me, because I ended up painting what was selling well, versus what I wanted to paint.

I have learned from that, and as I’ve been getting back into my creative process again and prioritizing (and making) time to paint, I am painting for me - inspired by my adventures and memories, I want to create paintings that mean something to me and immerse me in a space that I can feel and smell as well as just see. I really hope that my paintings will resonate with others as well. I know so many of these special spaces in the world are special to so many people, and we share the love.

Thank you for being here, truly

Thank you for taking a moment to get to know me, and the ups and downs and coming-back-to my creative journey. Here’s to you, hopefully finding your own creative, flow-state inducing, self-regulating practice. And here’s to my own turning point in re-claiming creative space… even if that space is literally a guest room in my house converted into an art studio with a 12x12 ft drop cloth and an easel. Cheers!