What do you want to be when you grow up?

A roller skating, singing waitress with my own restaurant that has a gift shop in the front where I will sell all the things I make.  That was my answer when I was five years old.  How can I remember that all these years later?  With an answer like that, do you think anyone would let me forget?  I’ve heard it said that to see what your true identity is, look at the games you played as a child and think about what you wanted to be when you grew up.  I played “cabin” in the woods and wanted to be a roller skating, singing waitress.

What does this have to do with anything?  Ever since I left my “real” job to be an artist, I’ve questioned my decision on a daily basis.  Am I insane?  My education is in Geology and I’ve never even taken an art class!  What was I thinking?  So once all the snow melted this spring and there was no more snowboarding to be done,  I decided to face that little voice in my head and try to figure out what I want to be when I grow up.  At least for now.

I started with a watercolor and ink drawing of the roller skating, singing waitress.  She’s serving spaghetti, of course (it’s my favorite).

Then I started to think about my life in comparison to the roller skating, singing waitress.  I still love to roller skate.  At one time roller skating was a big part of my life.  Ok I admit it, I was a competitive roller dancer in high school.  Think Dancing with the Stars on skates, only not so glamorous.  And recently I saw a commercial for Sonic and announced that I was getting a job there so I could roller skate every day.  As far as the singing goes… Well let’s just say I wouldn’t have many repeat customers at my restaurant if I sang to them.  But I could play the piano or the flute for them.  That brings me to the restaurant itself.  It was supposed to have a shop to sell things I made in it.  That part is no problem.  After all, I’m already trying to make a living selling the things I make.  The waitress thing might not be so exciting at this point in my life, but I’m obsessed with growing and cooking food from scratch and feeding it to my friends, so I guess that’s not far off.  So I reworked the roller skating, singing waitress.  Now she is bringing veggies from her gardens to her comfy house that has a fabulous studio out back.

And here she is riding her bike to the market (much better than walking).  She’s still singing – probably because she’s outside and can’t help it (and no one can hear).

So what do I want to be when I grow up?  I am not entirely sure, but today I want to be a fiber artist who also makes quilts, and baskets, and pottery, and teaches piano lessons, and grows most of her food, and cooks fabulous meals from scratch for her friends and family.  What do you want to be when you grow up?

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