Everyday my daughters create something.  They draw, they paint, they glue, they color.  Their imaginations over flow with inspiration.  They write lists, they author stories, they draw pictures of their day, they illustrate princesses and superheros.  As they have grown I have worked hard to encourage their infinite inspiration and boundless imagination.  It is a piece of them I want to exist and flow through them for the rest of their lives.  In the last two months Olivia’s drawings have consistently become fantastic and left me more and more in awww of her ability to go to some other place and share it through her drawings (yes, total and complete mommy bias).

Suddenly I found myself looking at the world in a very different way.  Maybe instead of writing about a memory I could draw too?  Maybe instead of taking a picture or sharing words I could share an emotion or thought through drawings.  Could I?  Could I turn a vision, a thought, an idea into a drawing? So I found a great app on my iPad,  bought a stylist and I began to draw….and draw and I drew some more.   I began to study my daughters drawings.  I watched the details they added.  I took notes on their feelings.  I remembered how they were inspired.  And then I drew some more. Soon I started to find my own style.

After months of studying them and drawing my own pictures I realized it was time.  It was time to share my drawings with other.  Actually let other human beings (not just my daughters…who are totally bias. I could draw a wiggly lopsided stick figure and they’d say that’s beautiful mommy!!)   I channeled a pinch of whimsy and a cup of sweetness and drew for someone I knew would love my art even if it sucked.  With a million nervous knots in my stomach I hit the share button…

and when no one told me my drawing was awful I drew some more.   Today I find myself with a brand new creative outlet.

I LOVE TO DRAW.

While I am still terrified to share my drawings with others I love it too much to let my new found love be effected by what others think.  So today I start what I hope will be the first of many, many, many more inspired illustrations.

I owe this new found passion all to my daughters!