Changes
In the last half of 2016, I decided I wanted to finally pick a path for myself. It has plagued me throughout my early adulthood that I have not been able to figure out what I want to do with my life. I am interested in many different things but that always seemed to cloud my vision rather than set me up for making a decision. I'm good at many things but don't feel like I excel in any one area--again, not helping me pick a path. But I was not happy in my job and was tired of feeling like I was floundering, so I did some soul-searching and finally felt ready to make a decision.
I have always been creative and interested in art. I remember being told once that to figure out what you want to do in life, just look back to the "windows" you had in your childhood. These windows are anything you look back to and remember doing and enjoying all throughout your childhood and beyond. Anything that keeps popping up over and over again. Those can be clues to unlocking what you want to do.
When I contemplated what my windows might have been, the thing I realized is that I have always wanted to be an interior designer. I used to sit in my piano teacher's house when I was in elementary school as I waited for my lessons and pretend to redo her whole main floor. What color would I paint the walls? How could I improve her furniture arrangement? I've done this to just about every space I've been in over the course of my entire life. I have pursued this as a hobby--helping friends and family, enjoying decorating and redoing my many homes, even though most of them have been rentals. I spend my time educating myself on design, reading blogs, books, and magazines, watching HGTV. I am always looking for my next project.
So I finally took a step. I looked into programs and found one at my local community college. I have a BA in Studio Art so I (thankfully) don't need to return for another four years. I enrolled in a year long program to get certified to be an Interior Design Specialist and I started at the beginning of 2017. I quit my unhappy job and started a new one as an Interior Design Assistant.
I believe that beauty and joy are fundamental needs for human beings. Just like food and water, we are not able to live fully if we do not experience beauty and joy. If we are able to enjoy our homes and find them to be beautiful, we automatically also find security and safety in those spaces. That goes for not just the interior of our homes but also in our neighborhoods and communities. Beauty can help spread peace.
My pursuit of so many dreams over these years has mostly been in the pursuit of beauty, in one way or another. For this next year I will be learning all kinds of things about design and trying to figure out how best to bring beauty and joy to everyone, especially those who typically cannot afford an interior designer. I have lots of ideas in the works and am thinking about possible business ideas I could start. I love what I'm learning and feel so grateful to have these opportunities! And I feel especially joy-filled to have found a purpose and a path!
We have more changes coming up, specifically as it applies to Lil Blue and our tiny adventure. But that will have to wait until the next post. :)