I wanted to be an artist/creator practically all my life but had lived a very logic brained existence as a BAS Agent/Bookkeeper amongst other similar roles. I ran my own business for sixteen years but lock downs (in Melbourne) created a very different work life for me. I worked harder than ever, because I became a key support for my clients through all the ups and downs of Government assistance. It actually wore me out. BUT, I discovered the Zentangle® Method early on in 2021 and became obsessed.
I had no formal art training, knew nothing of media or styles and to be honest, I didn't really think I had any talent. I could draw a pretty good doodle tree but that was it. Then one day when I was learning how to do bullet journaling, I stumbled on Zentangle and instantly fell in love. Here was a drawing method I could follow, easily, and wow! I actually created art. I had finally found something that satisfied my creative need and also helped me keep my cool while we battled the Covid phenomenon.
I was so inspired by the community I became part of I headed off to Newport, Rhode Island in 2023 to become qualified to teach this method. Now I am a Certified Zentangle® Teacher who is very excited to share this incredible art form and method with anyone who will sit still long enough with me to learn.
I also knew I really wanted to be a hero. A savior. Someone who fixed things up when they were severely broken or under threat. I suppose this was because, at the tender age of 8, I became a child of divorced parents.
Reading had always been an escape from real life where I could take on that hero mantle for a little while. All genres appealed to me but Fantasy and Sci Fi were where I could really invest in those heroic characters.
Again, thanks to the intervention of Covid which so dramatically changed our existence, not only did I begin my art journey but I was reunited with my love of writing. A good friend invited me to join a weekly writing group in April 2020. I challenged myself to complete NaNoWriMo that same year and my first novel was born. Since then I have continued to write, gaining confidence and experiencing the fun of self publishing. Between the writing and the drawing, I’m also exploring colouring books and how to books and … well, the sky is the limit really. I now live a wonderfully relaxed and productive life which I share with students and readers all around the world.