Graduation Day
Today is the day that I graduate from college. It is a major milestone for me. It is one of those things that I never believed would happen, yet here I am.
I married young, and we started our family soon after getting married. We both agreed that I would be a stay at home Mom, to personally raise our children. And I did. I put aside any possibility of working or going to college, and even put aside my paintbrush to focus on the kids. I had no regrets in staying home with them, and I believe my kids turned out great because I invested my life to make sure that I was always there for them. However, the desire to create art and become a better artist always gnawed away at me. I taught myself to do quite a bit, but I always felt my art was missing some quality to make it better. I had talent, but not professionalism, and definitely had no confidence in my art or ability.
My sister, Cathy, decided to go to college in her late 30's, to become a pharmacist. She worked really hard, balancing being a wife and mom with college and a full time job supporting her family. One day as we were talking about college, she looked at me and said, "Amy, you're next. You are going to go to college." That's all she said. At the time, I thought, "Yeah, right. It will never happen. I can't afford it, and I can't afford to travel. There's no way."
Some time later, I was in an Avon meeting, and our district manager had us make a list of four goals. Then she made us choose one goal, and focus on it, writing out just the first step we would have to take to achieve that goal, and a deadline to do it. She probably wanted me to create a goal for selling lipsticks or shower gels, but out of the blue, I came up with ATTEND COLLEGE AND MAJOR IN ART.
For some reason, taking this step made it real to me, possibly doable. I went home and looked up the nearby colleges online, and looked at their art courses. I still had the issue of not being able to travel, so the nearby colleges were out. Then, while reading The Artist Magazine, I found an ad for Academy of Art University, and found that they had online degrees. I could do it all from home, with the help of videos, written work, and professors who would critique my work. I requested information, and jumped into it (sort of), registering for the next year.
I was so nervous that first semester. I felt that my art abilities probably wouldn't even be good enough to get good grades. But I was wrong. What I knew and could do already gave me a good start, and I ended up being an A student throughout each class.
Each class I took helped my skills improve by leaps and bounds, and with each class, I realized that there was so much more that I didn't know, which gave me a desire to learn more and become better.
Along the way, I decided to open an art gallery. It was named in honor of my sister, Cathy. Cathy gave me the first nudge toward college. Sadly, she never finished. She ended up being diagnosed with Ewing's sarcoma, a rare and deadly cancer, and she died two years after diagnosis.
I kept the gallery open for two years, and then decided that running the gallery on my own was keeping me from expanding my own art into other cities and galleries. We closed the gallery in 2014, and now I am freelancing, going to shows and showing in galleries.
It has been a grand adventure, from being accepted into my first gallery, to being featured artist in that same gallery 5 years later. I have been featured on a tv show, been filmed for two television shows, had a few articles written about me, had a gallery, won awards, and have been guest teacher at a public high school.
And now today, I graduate. I graduate a different person than when I began this adventure. Although I will always have more to learn, I am confident in my skills. I am not afraid to try what I have not done before. I can value my art, and I know for a fact that others value it, too.
I haven't traveled this path alone. There are many who gave me support over the years. My husband, Andy, has been a strong support; my kids and my parents; Tom Novak and Brian Vegter, for giving me a chance in their gallery, and for the wonderful advice and encouragement through the years; the galleries that represent me; my instructors including Thomas Marsh, Jennifer Almodova, Anna Nelson, Jason Bowen, and Peter Schifrin, for finding value in me and pushing me to do better, for taking me out of my comfort zone; the artists that I have come to know, my sisters, Kelly, and Cathy, and my business consultant, Kristian Hohenbrink (he's what every artist needs!), and even my former pastor, Monte, who believed in me when I did not believe in myself. And every one of you who has bought a piece of my art, thank you. I am thankful for all of you, and I couldn't have done it without you.
Right now, I am here at The Cow Palace in Daly City, California, in my grey cap and gown, surrounded by a sea of humanity. Feeling the butterflies in my stomach, hoping I don't trip, hoping they don't butcher my name too badly, hoping I just make it through this without making a fool of myself. Walking up on stage and receiving the diploma marks the end of an era, and the beginning of an even greater one. Join me on this adventure, will you? Here I go!
I married young, and we started our family soon after getting married. We both agreed that I would be a stay at home Mom, to personally raise our children. And I did. I put aside any possibility of working or going to college, and even put aside my paintbrush to focus on the kids. I had no regrets in staying home with them, and I believe my kids turned out great because I invested my life to make sure that I was always there for them. However, the desire to create art and become a better artist always gnawed away at me. I taught myself to do quite a bit, but I always felt my art was missing some quality to make it better. I had talent, but not professionalism, and definitely had no confidence in my art or ability.
My sister, Cathy, decided to go to college in her late 30's, to become a pharmacist. She worked really hard, balancing being a wife and mom with college and a full time job supporting her family. One day as we were talking about college, she looked at me and said, "Amy, you're next. You are going to go to college." That's all she said. At the time, I thought, "Yeah, right. It will never happen. I can't afford it, and I can't afford to travel. There's no way."
Some time later, I was in an Avon meeting, and our district manager had us make a list of four goals. Then she made us choose one goal, and focus on it, writing out just the first step we would have to take to achieve that goal, and a deadline to do it. She probably wanted me to create a goal for selling lipsticks or shower gels, but out of the blue, I came up with ATTEND COLLEGE AND MAJOR IN ART.
For some reason, taking this step made it real to me, possibly doable. I went home and looked up the nearby colleges online, and looked at their art courses. I still had the issue of not being able to travel, so the nearby colleges were out. Then, while reading The Artist Magazine, I found an ad for Academy of Art University, and found that they had online degrees. I could do it all from home, with the help of videos, written work, and professors who would critique my work. I requested information, and jumped into it (sort of), registering for the next year.
I was so nervous that first semester. I felt that my art abilities probably wouldn't even be good enough to get good grades. But I was wrong. What I knew and could do already gave me a good start, and I ended up being an A student throughout each class.
Each class I took helped my skills improve by leaps and bounds, and with each class, I realized that there was so much more that I didn't know, which gave me a desire to learn more and become better.
Along the way, I decided to open an art gallery. It was named in honor of my sister, Cathy. Cathy gave me the first nudge toward college. Sadly, she never finished. She ended up being diagnosed with Ewing's sarcoma, a rare and deadly cancer, and she died two years after diagnosis.
I kept the gallery open for two years, and then decided that running the gallery on my own was keeping me from expanding my own art into other cities and galleries. We closed the gallery in 2014, and now I am freelancing, going to shows and showing in galleries.
It has been a grand adventure, from being accepted into my first gallery, to being featured artist in that same gallery 5 years later. I have been featured on a tv show, been filmed for two television shows, had a few articles written about me, had a gallery, won awards, and have been guest teacher at a public high school.
And now today, I graduate. I graduate a different person than when I began this adventure. Although I will always have more to learn, I am confident in my skills. I am not afraid to try what I have not done before. I can value my art, and I know for a fact that others value it, too.
I haven't traveled this path alone. There are many who gave me support over the years. My husband, Andy, has been a strong support; my kids and my parents; Tom Novak and Brian Vegter, for giving me a chance in their gallery, and for the wonderful advice and encouragement through the years; the galleries that represent me; my instructors including Thomas Marsh, Jennifer Almodova, Anna Nelson, Jason Bowen, and Peter Schifrin, for finding value in me and pushing me to do better, for taking me out of my comfort zone; the artists that I have come to know, my sisters, Kelly, and Cathy, and my business consultant, Kristian Hohenbrink (he's what every artist needs!), and even my former pastor, Monte, who believed in me when I did not believe in myself. And every one of you who has bought a piece of my art, thank you. I am thankful for all of you, and I couldn't have done it without you.
Right now, I am here at The Cow Palace in Daly City, California, in my grey cap and gown, surrounded by a sea of humanity. Feeling the butterflies in my stomach, hoping I don't trip, hoping they don't butcher my name too badly, hoping I just make it through this without making a fool of myself. Walking up on stage and receiving the diploma marks the end of an era, and the beginning of an even greater one. Join me on this adventure, will you? Here I go!
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