Childish Pursuits

The things that intrigued and inspired us when we were children still have that power over us today.

As I child I was an avid beachcomber. Living so close to the beach it was easy for me to simply walk a few blocks away and explore the tide line for perfect tiny shells and sea glass. These were true treasures for me.

Here are some ocean treasures I collected when I was 7 years old. I kept them in a special box and as an adult I embedded them in the walls of my seaside themed bathroom. 

Here's a display of my jewelry, some of which I made from sea glass.

One afternoon, when I was a kid, I sat in the yard of the little girl who lived across the street. There were four of us children colouring with crayons in our colouring books. My book was Aladdin and the Magic Lamp. 

I was the kind of kid who coloured the entire page, from edge to edge, until the paper was stiff with wax.

I ran out of pages to colour, so I went home and got blank sheets of paper on which to draw. I continued the story. I invented a story about myself as a magic princess who could do anything she wanted. 

The other children stopped colouring in their books and asked if they could colour the drawings I was creating instead.

One little girl said, "I'll give you a nickel for that picture."

Another said, "I'll buy you an ice cream if you let me colour this one."

A little boy offered, "I'll let you borrow my lizard for a week if you draw a picture for me." 

It was at that moment, at age five and a half, that my professional career as an Artist began. I discovered that if I do what I love to do, I will have money, food, and maybe the loan of a lizard for a week. 

I have not regretted the choice.