I Am An Illustrator

So, it's been a long, LONG time since I've posted. Add another baby to the mix and a husband deployed to Iraq and you've got more than your share of full-time motherhood. It wasn't until reading some of my friends' posts on their blogs that I realized I missed blogging. I miss writing. In fact, I miss doing a lot of things that are considered artistic. For example, I love to draw. But when was the last time I really sketched anything, even just for myself?

Two weeks ago my oldest daughter asked me to draw her Snow White doll. My medium: a crayola marker. My canvas: the back of a six inch paper plate. I dreaded the task simply because I thought it would take forever. But after getting half the body done the artist in me awakened and I began to enjoy sketching for the first time in years. The finished product wasn't exactly blue ribbon material, in fact it was pretty scary, but my daughter loved it and colored over the body so that all you could see was a silhouette. All she wanted was a character to color in between the lines! I have to say that was pretty clever.

But this simple drawing request awakened in me the desire to draw again. Fast forward to Sunday evening and the topic of art comes up while having dinner with a dear friend. I toy with the idea of showing her some of my old drawings, and finally did, much to my embarrassment. But she loved every single one of them, even the ones I found to be horrible. And she revealed to me something that I had thought I could never be: an illustrator. I thought in order to be a good illustrator you had to be able to draw fast AND well, but no. A person can take as much time as they need. Being told, "You are an Illustrator," was the best news! I was stoked.

So, yes, I am an illustrator. I can't wait to see what I sketch next, and neither can my friend. I AM AN ILLUSTRATOR.