Guest post by Meg Smidt

Commission piece by Danielle Duer — ***Commission piece by*** ***Danielle Duer***

I am a woman with my identity wrapped into many titles….

Wife

Mama

Lolli

Sister

Daughter

Friend

Mentor

Coach

Speaker

Trainer

Musician

Seamstress

Creative

…but I never considered myself to be an artist.

Hear me out…I LOVE ART. My husband and I are collectors and I absolutely come alive when I find artists whose work speaks to my heart and soul. Our art collection is the legacy we're leaving our five kids and we cherish it. It is ever growing and contains works from local artists we love through to masters of their craft in major galleries across the world.

But I never considered myself to be an artist.

Growing up, I knew that my Godmother enjoyed painting and I loved going over to her house when my kids were teenagers and seeing her original art adorning her walls. She had an easel set up in her home office and always had a work in progress out for anyone to see. It was wonderful. Then, my second oldest son married a wonderful woman who loved to draw and paint and even entered contests with her work. I love that my daughter-in-law Chelsey shares my love of art and every chance I get, I shower her with art supplies and works of art from my favorite local female artists.

In the beginning of 2020, I purchased a set of art classes from one of my favorite local artists, Dionna Raedeke, for my husband and I as a gift to him. He enjoys art as much as I do, and I thought it would be a great way to get us out doing something fun together that would also be a good stress reliever. The classes were called “Pure Play” and that’s exactly what we did. She gave a little lesson in a technique or two and gave us all of the supplies we would need to create. She’d put on nice music and leave the rest of the time to us to feel, let loose, and create whatever we’d like.

I came alive during this time in a way I never imagined that I could. I created bold pieces that made me so happy and I would leave every single time lighter than I came. I left all of the busy, striving, worry and stress of my day on my artwork and couldn’t wait to get back to it again.

***“happy, just because” from Mothers Who Make Art***

Over the past few months, I have had so much fun spending hours on the weekend taking care of me by getting lost in my paints, pencils, and pastels. This is how I fill myself back up after pouring out all week to my coaching clients. I’m learning technique and how to use many different mediums together and I can’t remember the last time I felt more centered and peaceful than I do right now. Creating art to fill the void the quarantine has left in my life over the past year of not being able to be with my loved ones or out in my city having adventures has helped me feel like myself again. I can express myself through art in ways I haven’t been able to any other way, which is freeing and so helpful to keep me centered and able to keep giving all of me every single day through my work and my personal relationships.

You don’t need to know what you’re doing to get started. Just put on some music you love, pull out some crayons, pencils, markers or paint…. And play. It might just be the thing that changes everything for you, mama.

***Meg, just being her kick ass self!***

Thank you, Meg, for your wise words and inspiring perspective! For more information on Meg and her coaching work, check out www.yourcoachmeg.com or follow her on IG @yourcoachmeg