2018 Top Nine and Why It Almost Made Me Cry

On the last day of 2018, I did what many people do…. I figured out what my Top Nine Instagram posts of 2018 were. At the time, I didn’t think anything of it. I certainly didn’t think that it would impact me as much as it did. But it did impact me. Quite a bit.

There you have it. My Top Nine. It may not look like much to you, but to me, I saw validation. Confirmation. Peace.

I know that’s a lot to see in nine little photos, but a couple of years ago I started the slow and steady shift into becoming a “printmaker.” After years and years of being a painter, this was a huge deal for me. A part of my identity was wrapped up in being a painter. It felt like a huge part of who I was. And suddenly, I was actively pursuing something else. It felt like betrayal to myself, but it also felt like the right thing to do. So I kept moving forward, sometimes with fear and uncertainty, but I kept moving forward. With each new print I made, I learned more and more about who I was now, as a printmaker.

These nine photos are ALL BLOCK PRINTS. Not one watercolor painting. When I looked at this I almost started crying. Not only does it feel right to me to be going in this new direction, but it feels right to you, too! These are the posts that you liked the most from the entire year!

So thank you. Thank you for your support and encouragement and for letting me know with your “likes” that this new path that I’m on is certainly the path that I’m supposed to be on.

I’m so excited to see what 2019 will bring.