Yes, it Was A Successful Trip

What better way to spend the day with your daughter whose home from college!

Silvia...my new BFF!

When ever I travel to do a show or a class, I always get the question "was the trip successful?" I have to stop and think...what is successful? How do most people measure their little art ventures? When travel is involved, I am happy when my hotel and my gas is paid for. And I might add that driving to the Sacramento area last week I paid $4.39 for gas on I-5. Now, I'm pretty used to the gas prices in central Calif. but what really gets me is after I pay that and then see that they're charging over $3 for an energy drink that costs $1.89 at home! So they get us for gas and then it's a double whammy for a tiny little can of energy! Ok, we'll just get off that tangent now. I vented...feel better.

I think my shows and classes are wildly successful when you watch people's reactions to your art. When you see a smile spread across their face. And when you tell them that creating is just like being a child again and playing paper dolls. You can see it in their eyes as they too recall those memories of playing with 49 cent paper dolls and how happy it made us. The conversation turns to what type you had and whether or not you drew your own clothes. I like it when my art stirs up memories and brings a smile to someone's face. That's what it's all about.

Janet, who so very carefully chose every color.

Loving Autumn's greens she chose.

The same goes for classes. They are successful when you watch the creativity unfold. Whether it's a class of 2 or a class with 20, there is something special about grown women cutting out paper and dressing their art. Deciding on hair styles and colors or whether or not to place a flower in her hair. When all of our problems fade away for a few hours and the major decision we need to make is whether to use a crown or a headband on our masterpiece. This is what I call success. Listening to music, chatting about our lives, making friends and creating. Yes, my weekend was very successful. New friends, new clothes and enough money to buy an energy drink on the way home. I'd do it again in a heartbeat!