A friend of mine, the amazing artist Pilar Pobil, wrote in her book that her life seems to have been in three parts and so I find myself. There are my lives that have come before: marriages, children, career...and there is my life now. My new life still involves a child, my daughter Caitlin, albeit a grown one, a lovable son-in-law and their amazing baby girl, Evie. It also involves a renewing of my career as an artist, a passion for living a creative and art~filled life, our dogs, Bowser and Daivi, and my horse, an adopted wild Mustang named Paladin.
And of course, it involves my family and friends, the ones who know the authentic Shawn and who love me in spite of myself! I am a survivor of rape, domestic violence, poverty and unwise choices. I have also survived two traumatic brain injuries, one of which left me in a coma for 4 1/2 months. God was not finished with me yet I guess! I am also greatly blessed with a passion for God, talent, curiosity, sometimes hard-won wisdom , beautiful things and thrift. Making something pretty from what others throw away thrills me to no end!
This is my territory ahead...one of rediscovering all the passions I had allowed others to quash within me. Finding myself again, restoring myself to me, and taking my penchant for turning all types of trash into treasure as a way to live my creative life. I had lost myself and I had slowly allowed it to happen until I no longer recognized the real me. Blaming no one, I take responsibility for my own happiness and success although my definition of success does not align with what worldly success is. Lately I have been flexing long unused gifts, talents, ideas and skills along with dusting off the dreams I had let sit on a forgotten shelf. Now it is time for me to use them to their fullest.
Sometimes I may be too blunt and honest for some and too quiet and restrained for others. I will apologize now if I do offend as that will never be my intention. I am the first to admit that I am not perfect and as a born-again Christian, I just thank God daily that I am saved. If something I share helps you, then Praise God! If something I say offends you, then please forgive me. I struggle like everyone else in this fallen world and have found that it is better for me to not be too judgmental about others. If you are curious then please join me on this journey.
