They say that those who can’t do teach. Unsurprisingly, teachers hate that phrase. It isn’t true. And yet, for so much of my life, I believed it.

I have artistic talent. I’m creative. But I never thought my work was going to hang in a museum. I never thought I could make a career from my art. I couldn’t even get an “A” in an art class where my teacher praised the effort I put into my work.

I could be an art teacher, but I would never be an artist.

When I would hear other art teachers or my own students downplay their creations and insist that they weren’t artist, I’d be the first to speak up. “Of course you’re an artist! You’re making art!”

But not me. I’m not an artist. I resisted the label mentally, physically, spiritually, emotionally. My version of being an artist wasn’t worthy.

But something has shifted. I’m finally learning what it means to be an artist and to live my life as an artist. It’s playful, risky, experimental. It’s not about being good. It’s about the process.

Through the magic of attention, daily practice, and community, I’ve opened myself up to what the world has to teach me.

And that is why my 2023 Word of the Year is ARTIST. Join me on this year-long journey of connection and creativity as I share my insights on what it means to live life as an artist.

If you’d like to experience the magic of making art in community, join me in The Creativity Cocoon.

Links Mentioned