I’ve been an imaginative and creative person all my life. But I was also very physically and mentally active – so visual art was not something I excelled at as a young person. I put all my energy into artistic physical activities – especially gymnastics and springboard diving!

I enjoyed my Jr. High art classes and I was very involved in my HS musical theater program.  But it wasn’t until I was in college that I took my first drawing class! I was so intimidated! I believed that I wasn’t “artistic”, but through that class, I found out that I was and I greatly enjoyed creating through visual arts.

Throughout my adult years, I dabbled in a wide variety of crafts for my own pleasure. But I also began taking Ballet classes and with a degree in Early Childhood Development, I developed and taught the Children’s Division at Columbia Dance in Vancouver, WA. I taught Creative Dance classes, took my own classes, and enjoyed roles as Party Parent and Clara’s Mother in The Nutcracker every December.

I was also a writer. I published several articles in well know Christian magazines, and I was a motivational speaker at Women’s Retreats and Conferences. I enjoyed the artistic development of my PowerPoint presentations almost as much as the speaking time!

You notice I speak of all of this in past tense. 7 years ago, an illness crept upon me and began stealing the life I had known for so many years. It’s a difficult illness to explain, but it has made most active pursuits impossible and I am sometimes in pain, and usually stuck in a recliner chair for many hours of the day.

I live life by two principles: Love God and Love Others. I had spent many years pursuing both, but when I became ill, I was really challenged in how I was going to do this.

Being determined that illness could not stop me from enjoying life, I began to return to a long time desire to learn to paint with watercolor.

I began with PBS TV shows, videos and books. I found that, when I picked up my paper and paint, I could “love God” through offering my creation to him. I also found that through my art, I could connect with people and show them love. I was still able to live life as I desired. It looks different from what I imagined 10 years ago, but I love the art I can create and the people I meet through it!

The name of my website and usernames at Etsy and eBay, “TheCreatorsPalette” has a double meaning to me. God is the creator of all beauty, and yet, even through this difficult time of health, he allows my hand to create beauty that pleases Him!

I have also spread my art and offerings into the area of jewelry – but mostly in beaded medical ID bracelets! When I had to begin wearing one, I hated the ugly chain. But another $50 was not in my budget for a beaded bracelet to come with my Medical ID tag!

So I began making beaded bracelets that attach to my tag (another thing I can do in my recliner). When I one for every outfit I owned, I decided to create them and sell them at low reasonable prices for others who have to wear ID tags. I’ve had a lot of requests from Mothers of children with Diabetes and Asthma and so I am also working on a children’s line of bracelets.