I started to tune into my creative side of my brain, not just for art, but the side that opens doors to new avenues and revenues. This trait I feel comes from my mother, Carol, as she is very sharp and very creative.
My first venture was painting straw hats and denim shorts. I had a friend named Josh who was quite an entrepreneur and who became my mentor for the first year or so. Together we would set up at local swap meets here and there over the island and I would on occasion sell my wares.
I think I did this for a year or two changing my style and moving deeper and deeper into the jungle side of the island. Soon I was living in one of the most magical spots on Maui........ Nahiku. Twenty five miles out towards Hana town on a windy road filled with one lane bridges, down a dirt road, past a river bed, up the hill and into the ultimate hippy paradise.
Flora and fauna, private waterfalls, a cliff lined ocean, sea turtles, whales, rainbows, and magical moments with soon to be life long friends drew me in and honestly I have never left in my heart. Now days when I visit Maui I don't feel quite at home until I make it down to Nahiku and then a sense of pure inner peace fills my heart and I just relax into the blessing of the place.
Being in the jungle was where I really truly found my passion for art. I already wanted to be an artist, to make a living as an artist, but in Nahiku I lived, breathed, slept, and became solely an artist. My days were spent painting or beading, gardening, and sewing. Creativity ruled the days and I became more and more in tune to my desire and when I finally came out 2 years later I was in fact an artist with no intention to do any thing else. I was also broke and struggling to survive.
At that point I moved back to Manhattan Beach intending to move to New York and break into my art career. Really I ended up just breaking into not being able to survive with out the help of my folks. I was 23 at the time, not the most responsible age for me.
I did get a realization and found myself creating and selling one of my other passions which was the art of hat making. Read on if you like........