A Prelude

The Blog I wanted to share but never got around to. Let’s call it…

The Post that Should Have Come First - A Prelude

4-3-2025
Hey, it’s been a while. If you’re reading this, hi, it’s nice to have you here 😊

TLDR: Life’s been hectic, I got a dog, I got a new full-time gig, and I got an art show and sales coming up.

Let’s start with tattooing. I had to end my tattoo studio due to a minor hand injury. My chronic illness just also couldn’t keep up with the pain tattooing gave me. I LOVED tattooing. I miss it and wish I could have kept going with it. Nonetheless, I made some great memories and tattoo friends along the way. So for that, I’m grateful. THANK YOU to those that trusted me to tattoo you✨ With the tattooing journey ending, I had to get a school job… more about that later.

Music. I miss performing live. I miss it a lot. I’m still with a tribute band and we play a few times a year. Which is so much fun. Last year we had a gig in South Dakota. Traveling with music friends is always an adventure and South Dakota, you did not disappoint. One of us almost got arrested - jk jk he just got a ticket. I’ve also been reclaiming my relationship with the piano. I’ve been practicing more and am hoping to start up some piano livestreams to keep my progress going and share the journey.

Art. Painting has been so healing. I’ve been able to paint more these days. Mostly because I’m currently unemployed… well… self-employed? But not that much lol. My health really took a toll at the end of last year. I was working as a music teacher, choir teacher, and art teacher at a small private school. Honestly, the pay sucked, the white privilege was showing, and there was a lack of support for my illness. Unfortunately, you just can’t be disabled and a teacher at a small, under-funded private school. So I quit midyear. It gave me so much time to paint, teach my private students, spend time with Corey (my spouse) and adopt a greyhound :)

Now what? Good grief, I feel like the anxiety I had in my early 20s of what am I going to do with my life? has returned in my early 30s. But’s it’s amped up with my PMDD anxiety, and the anxiety of how do I support myself financially in these conditions?

Over the past 10 years, I’ve learned how hard it is to be able to financially support yourself as an artist. And over the past 5 years, I’ve learned how hard it is to be self-employed and living with PMDD.

After months of debating and learning with my doctor, I decided a while ago to start medication to specifically treat my PMDD. Has it helped? Yes and no. It’s helped minimize my fatigue and depression, but it also gave me a period every 2 weeks… so funnnnn.

But I’m trying to be positive. And hopeful. Spoilers it’s hard.

Ok bye.

Spring 2025 ~ the home studio