Open The Box
So where does the idea come from?
Of what to paint next.
Of what to do with a blank sheet of paper.
To answer that, I have to tell you about my box.
The kind of decorative box you’d find at Michaels, the craft store.
I got it in high school and it became the place I kept my memories.
Cards, quotes, pictures, notes, wristbands, concert tickets.
You name it, it went in there.
When I started teaching, kids would sometimes give me cards or write me notes.
Thanking me for a great year or for helping them in some way.
So I needed a bigger box.
When I started my art business, collectors and friends started emailing loving words.
And photos of where they hung the paintings they bought.
So over the years, my craft boxes grew into computer files.
A digital way to store not just memories.
But also things I’m loving right now: quotes, articles, books, images.
It started out as just needing a hefty storage solution for my past.
But it became a place to curate my future.
What started decades ago is still the simplest truth for me today.
My inspiration comes from being inspired.
Whenever I need to begin, I just open my box.
