I believe I owe my passion for writing to my third grade guidance counselor, Al Chapar. During one of our many visits, Al sensed I was struggling expressing my feelings verbally. He suggested I go home and write down what I felt on a piece of paper and bring it back to him.
I went home that night and the words flowed freely onto the pages of my wide ruled notebook. There was no stopping me. I brought the scribbled emotions to his office the following afternoon After reading the few short paragraphs (and taking longer than I thought it should take him) he said:
"You express yourself exceptionally well in writing. You should keep doing it."
Thus began a lifetime of expressing myself through words, stories, poems, journals and more. Al continued to encourage me via our sessions and outside of them to use my "gift".
And so I do.
My creative side likely comes from being a Gemini, INFJ, and having had my dreams of studying fashion thwarted by a mother who believed that fashion was not a "real job". Insisting that intellect like mine demanded a "real job" I appeased her by choosing to study English and Creative Writing at Columbia College (Chicago). To this day she insists I should have been a lawyer. I might have considered it if I could have prosecuted poor fashion choices.
Ask me anything but do not ever ask me to complete a complex math problem for you. Numbers are not my thing.
Words and pictures are.
Sadly, my love of fashion and days of spending ridiculous amounts of money on clothing ended when I began to parent my two sons. Its okay. I am cool with it. Now I get to dress them.
And well, yeah, I do still have a penchant for sterling silver jewelry and expensive handbags.