January is turning into a “studio hermit” month as drawing and painting have slowly supplanted the hullaballoo of the holidays. The Swallow-Shapeshifter painting-in-progress had been on the board for a while due to other pressing commitments. But the “break” allowed its after-image-glow to seer into the depths of consciousness and materialize into a more thoughtful, well-executed image. I like this piece as it encompasses everything I love about doing art. It’s always hard to explain exactly what the creative drive is all about, but in the barest of explications, I think it’s a transverse humming of the soul; an intersection of energy that coalesces into something penetrable and emotive.

Finished pencil drawing and initial watercolor washes.

Washes are followed by the drybrushing of details.

The finished Swallow-Shapeshifter watercolor painting

In other Hunt-Kramerville news:

A creative life is anything but a pristine one, as many of my author, artist and musician friends would concur. As much as I would love to maintain command of my surrounds, I often have to make choices that exclude household fastidiousness. I probably take the “A clean house is a sign of a wasted life” too much to heart. Given how jam-packed my days are, negotiating studio time and/or practicing piano or well, just being mom; dusting and other mundane labors are allowed to languish on the backlog of to-dos.

The happy corner of the kitchen and the magical realm that is Kyra's bedroom.

My mother-in-law, who has the “perfect” home,  passes on her House and Garden-style magazines to me—often somewhat butchered by her gregarious scissor hands, but with enough intact to provide me with sensual escapism. I don’t really read these periodicals, but I will leaf through dreamy pages of idyllic perfection as I proceed to fantasize about my own interior decorating choices. But more times than not, rather than being dazzled by overall layouts, I will hone in on nooks and crannies and the details that give personalized expression to one’s domicile. In between piles of chaos, I nurture cozy corners in my home; little pockets of pleasure that tell stories about the inhabitants and offer temporary reprieve from the debris of a life well lived.

The corner of my bedroom, a space of quietude and good fairy tale reads. On the shelf I have a book entitled "Colors" that friend/fan Lloyd Goatee had made for me. You can also see my dear friend Kris Waldherr's portrait of Isis and a gorgeous Waterhouse poster that she had sent to me. The teddy bear is one of my oldest possessions circa 1970--full of patches and holes from a lifetime of adoration. Every single object in this photo tells its own story.

This is all I seem to be able to maintain without big fuss—a small blissful exercise in nesting. Do you have sacred spaces in your home? Do you pay close attention to the apexes that bring a room together and perhaps serve as subconscious stability?

I think for me, my cozy corners help to balance creative distractions and smatterings of overwhelmed-ness. I notice that our furry, feathery creature companions tend to gravitate to these comfort zones. I think this says it all.

Kippers and Snowy in the corner of the library. Elsa with her alligator friend on the corner of our bed.

When I walk into my studio, the first thing I see is one of my cozy corners. That seems to set the right balance for a day that will certainly be filled by messy creative activity.

Kyra doing what she loves to do the most: reading fairy tales.

In this house, we all like to curl up to a good book in a cozy nook.

~ Lisa

Spirit Drawings

I just mailed out the last of holiday orders—drawing right up until the last possible moment to assure delivery of goodies. I can happily report that I have completed and mailed almost 40 Spirit Drawings in the last few months (Yes, I’m still taking orders). What a ride and what a great way to keep everything energized in the studio!  In between working on commissions for people from around the world, I managed to finish up Ghosts and Spirits Tarot (at the printer as I write), and work on paintings for my Bird project.

Here are a few newly rendered drawings stretched on boards and ready for paint:

Pencil renderings of Robin-Shapeshifter and Grouse-Shapeshifter. Robin-Shapeshifter illustrates dawning of the new, resurrection and birth--appropriate as we approach another year cycle.

With one eye on the 2011 hourglass, I’m cleaning up the studio and am reflecting on the approaching holidays. In my house we fully embrace the magic of this time of year. Our yearly ritual entails discarding clutter and old energy in anticipation of the new year ahead and the sense of renewal that accompanies it.  What will you be doing to prepare for 2012? Do you plan to break any chains and let go of those things that are weighing you down?

Jacob Marley and his chains from the Ghost and Spirits Tarot. The painting was still stapled on the watercolor board when this was scanned.

15 Chains (Jacob Marley)

In A Christmas Carol, Jacob Marley was Ebenezer Scrooge’s business partner and only friend. On Christmas Eve, the anniversary of Marley’s death, his ghost paid Scrooge an unexpected visit. The ghost’s chains, cash box and padlocks encumbered his spirit and served as reminders of his material-driven life. Marley comes to his parsimonious partner as a symbol of this potential dreadful fate, telling him to expect three spirit encounters. The ghost of Jacob Marley hangs in limbo as the shadows of an illusionary life keep his spirit in a state of stasis.

Divinatory meaning: You are harboring obsessive desires that cannot fill an empty void. Instead, it is weighing you down with deep-seated dissatisfaction. Open your eyes to the truth and start recognizing what is truly important.

(From the Ghosts & Spirits Tarot, due to be published early 2012)

In other Hunt-Kramerville news:

After almost 7 years of intense training, our 11 year old son earned his Black Belt in Tae Kwon Do. With his Black Belt, his Master finally cut off his Padawan braid. Connor transitioned from boy to young man—with his Black Belt heart and mind there to navigate him through his challenging middle grade years (yes, bullies are a persistent fixture in the preteen landscape). There is something to wearing a Black Belt—it alters a person and makes the individual feel keenly aware of one’s environment. It also instills a confidence that goes with having journeyed from an unaware white belt to a humbled black belt who has learned to expect the unexpected. Once a black belt, one’s perception is forever altered: from the ashes rises the warrior ready to take on life’s challenges with perspicacious intent. Connor holds his head higher, appears more focused and exudes a positive energy that says “here’s a good, conscientious guy”. I’m proud of what he’s accomplished and feel confident that he will remain on the path of good character and future achievement.

Connor's Black Belt ceremony. Photos by Kort Kramer 2011

Meanwhile, here’s a clip from our 7 year old daughter’s recital.

Her piano professor, who is a brilliant musician and masterful instructor, told me “She is going to be great when she’s eight!”. We’ll see, but for now, I’m enjoying watching this ray of sunshine grow.

At the Lynn University Conservatory venue in Boca Raton where Kyra performed

Kyra performing while her teacher looks on. It's a good sign that he's smiling!

Wishing everyone a very healthy happy holiday and an inspirational year ahead!

~Lisa

If you were to wander the grounds of my New England childhood, you would definitely see how nature influenced my artistic path. The dappled lighting, the deciduous trees and leaf covered woods are nothing short of mysterious and magical. Everything hums with life and suggests something sacred. My art wasn't so much about imagination, it was about connecting with my surroundings.

Mom & Pop pay homage to the Fae world by acquiring gargoyles and gnomes. I remember how much my father hated cutting trees! Here's my daughter Kyra holding an abandoned bird nest while conferring with a fantastical friend.

Mom still has some of my nature inspired early artwork. Pop still has my first car that's being taken over by nature.

During my visit, Mom asked me to retrieve an abandoned bird's nest for her collection.

A deep love for birds and bird nests is obviously not ours alone! On the right you can see how birds may have influenced artists such as Patrick Dougherty. This was taken at the Florence Griswold Museum in Lyme, CT. Connor can be seen standing next to his sculptures as my Mom approaches.

Here’s an example of what I started working on after I returned from my trip. The visual stimulus was transcribed onto paper from memory. All of that inspirational ‘food’ had to go somewhere! The trees, the rocks, the hills…

Pencil drawing (before watercolor application) for a collectible card game to be published in the near future

Here’s another painting I’m working on that was inspired by birds, nature and other organic wonders that seep into my psyche and are brought to life with pencil and paint. My artwork reflects a connection with my surroundings–something pulsing and alive and a part of us all.

This is a close-up of Swan Shapeshifter in-progress. Yes, I use a lot of different blues as the world is full of vibrant subtlety. It's truly impossible to capture the full breadth of Mother Nature's palette.

Speaking of birds…

My studio companions Snowflake and Kippers (who love to sit on my art table lamp) oversee the bird paintings, quite literally. Um, yes, I have a poop catcher for them.

~ Lisa

Me with my Mommy 1968-69 (Mom called me her "Wildhorse")

Mom was a stunning woman. She had that jaw-dropping beauty that made heads turn. She reminded me of Elizabeth Montgomery from Bewitched fame, a TV show I loved watching as a kid. From my point of view, Mom breathed magic. But more than that, Mom was an artist and a darn good storyteller too. She was beautiful and brilliant, everything I hoped to be.  She is a voracious reader and can recite Göethe verbatim; with a deep understanding that reflects a woman of great intelligence. Her own love of books certainly fostered my book-collecting habits!

Mom's childhood--fantasies, dreams and all

When she was a little girl, drawing, telling stories, and reading were her passions. She made beautiful books and earned A’s in writing class for her extraordinary talents, often compensating for her less than stellar performance in those subjects she had little interest in. She saved these fully-illustrated treasures that I am now gratefully in possession of. As a child, I pored over her sketches and wondered how she could pluck so many ideas out of  thin air and sketch with such technical facility. I remember how badly I wanted to draw as well as she did and I’m quite sure those creations from her formative years impacted mine.

Mom's homemade books created during her teen years. She titled them "Freetime" and "Our Three Girl House" (about life with 2 sisters).

As a child, my mom's drawings were awe-inspiring!

Mom's writing and pen and ink work were beautiful!

Oh, how I loved this drawing. It had a wonderful narrative quality.

Like Mom, I excelled at what I loved to do but tended to get bored when something failed to inspire (something both my mom and I regret about ourselves). But Mom was the one who showed me how interesting history could be, by giving me the human side of past triumphs and failings. The intricacies of the human condition were often glossed over in educational texts, but mom helped to fill in the gaps and fed my lifelong interest in mythos and analytical psychology.

Mom spoke “gemischt” with me—both English and German. My early childhood books were comprised of two languages. In fact, I spoke German before I spoke English, though I didn’t find this out until much later. Eventually English took over, but my love for Märchen (fairy tales) never dissipated. If you look closely at the photo, you will recognize subject matter that later served as my basic imaginative palette for writing and illustrating.

My favorite childhood books that I still have and cherish.

You can imagine how delighted I was when The Fairy Tale Tarot was translated into German…

The Fairy Tale Tarot available in both English and German.

Due to life circumstances, mom never pursued an art/writing career, but she has always been supportive of mine. She has even posed for me, most recently as The Hermit from Fantastical Creatures Tarot.

Mom as a Hermit, still breathing magic (From Fantastical Creatures Tarot published by US Games Systems)

Mom and I didn’t always see eye to eye (as moms and daughters are notorious for butting heads!), but as I grow older —I am understanding and appreciating her more and more; especially as my own “Wildhorse” daughter shows some of the same interests and proclivities that Mom and I share. Mom was and is one of my biggest inspirations. I hope I can be just like her when I grow up!

Thank you, Mom.

One of my favorite pictures of Mom and I taken at a Renaissance Fair in 1988.

~ Lisa

The library, where life happens. Connor is hiding behind the chair. It's obvious he wants to play a game of chess. This is one of 4 bookcases in the house, actually maybe 5 or 6---I lost count.

Just when I thought I was done with spring cleaning, I spontaneously decided to clean my bookcases. Like my editor said to me on a Facebook post about this latest ambitious endeavor: “Sometimes cleaning out the cobwebs is good for the psyche and the soul!” How very true, especially as I wait to get her edits back! The book-cleaning whim doesn’t happen all that often, so when it does, I know I have to just dive in and do it. There is a good reason for this: I have a lot of books and these books have a way of seducing me into their distracting embrace. I’ve been an avid collector of books since my teens—moving them from home to home was never an easy challenge. But now that I’ve settled, they’ve settled too—taking on the scents and energy of our lives in Hunt-Kramerville.

A sign that hangs up in the kids' reading room

Their very presence provides comfort and intellectual stimulation; and the kids are more studious when sitting in their “reading room”. This is probably why people love to sit and read in libraries. It takes a person to a quiet, relaxing place where books are the focus.  I know my guests are at instant ease when they walk into my home. The books are there to greet them. They’re unpretentious, welcoming and often do the talking for us!

Books in the kids' reading room

Given all the discussion surrounding real books vs. virtual ones, I think it all depends on what you expect from your books. My books are more than something to read. My books are like good friends—reliable, loyal and there no matter what, even if we lose power. Turning an actual page stimulates my brain in ways a computer cannot. But that does not mean that I’m dismissive of eBooks. I simply see them as another entity—connected and alive in a different way—but not in a way that can absorb the energies and vibes of the home like material books can. Honestly, I wouldn’t even put them in the same category. It’s like slow simmer or instant microwave. I choose to slow simmer and largely ignore my microwave. But the convenience of the microwave is there–instant satisfaction if I need something quick and easy. I see a place for both the conventional stove and the microwave just like I see a place for both real books and virtual ones. Both are nice to have but serve up food in a different way.

Timmy wants nothing to do with eBooks. He prefers real ones, thank you very much.

Timmy , The Sleeping Beauty

~ Lisa

The finished Heron-Shapeshifter watercolor painting

One of the most common questions I get as a professional watercolorist is: “How long does it take you to paint a picture?”. That’s a fair question though not an easy one to answer. It depends on a variety of factors including: subject matter, the amount of detail, how a painting flows along and even the level of distraction one may have to reconcile when one is working in one’s home. Distractions like kids and kitties.

Timmy, Kyra and Elsa giving me a dose of cuteness

I can say this for sure: I’m a much more efficient and confident painter now than I was 20 years ago. I’m also less fearful of taking risks and following my heart, something that has helped me avoid creative disasters and technical difficulties. The heart and soul direct the painting, not the hand, not my education and certainly not what I think people may want to see. This total liberation of one’s creativity makes for efficient, and mostly satisfying days in the studio.

One can see the difference if one compares images from my first tarot project created back in the mid-nineties to the works I’ve done in recent years. Don’t get me wrong, I’m still proud of what I had accomplished with Shapeshifter Tarot. But it was painted using a younger, more timid brain. Like the soft hues of “The Dreamer” in the painting below, my  artistic voice was still a quiet whisper that needed to develop its vibrato.

My first big project: Shapeshifter Tarot 1995-97.

During those early years, I drew and painted with painstaking care. I was slow and inexperienced and sometimes let deadline anxieties get the better of me. My fear of making mistakes made for long hours in the studio. Thank goodness I was young at the time and could get by with little sleep.

Lisa in the 1990s with a Shapeshifter portrait of 60s music icon Donovan

Fast forward to 2011:

Many paintings and publications later…

The once insecure girl is now a bold woman in her mid-forties who takes on each painting with gusto and know-how. That doesn’t mean I don’t make mistakes, but now I know how to work with those mistakes to great effect. With my current project, the paintings are large, alive and symphonious. The frigidiy is gone, the paint strokes deliberate and the time clock is non-existant (yes, there is a deadline, but I no longer fret about it). If I would have to guess, each bird-shapeshifter is taking me about a month and the process is pure, uninhibited enjoyment. That is a luxury that I feel I’ve earned and one I’m thoroughly enjoying.

Initial watercolor washes

Halfway through

Final details and dry brushing

And thanks to modern technology, I can scan my painting between paint sessions and share them with you…when not being distracted.

More distractions. This is for the birds. (Photo: Kort Kramer 2011)

~ Lisa

My backyard: View from the studio (Photo: Kort Kramer)

I am very lucky to have a lake view from my studio window where I can watch birds frolic, fish and fly.  Ducks, pelicans, cranes, egrets, grackles, chickadees, crows, mockingbirds, hawks, vultures, loons, cormorants and a host of other species provide me with a show of flapping wings and glorious calls.

But by far the most spectacular and mysterious of these visitors is the Great Blue Heron. It silently swoops down with perfect grace. Then it patiently stands by the shore with sturdy long legs and focused intent. Its smooth deliberate moves make it a perfect specimen for the artist (and is much easier to draw than a hummingbird!). I enjoy watching and sketching this otherworldy wading creature. To me, it epitomizes patience and provides a good reminder for hyperactive humans like me to take it easy and go with the flow.

Through choppy waves and still waters, these stealthy predators exercise great patience. (Photos: Kort Kramer)

"The heron's majestic beauty exemplifies the need to develop good coping skills in the face of challenge. It exercises patient vigilance when hunting for food, even though the outcome may not be successful." ~Animals Divine Tarot companion book

Sketching the birds was easy, creating a bird-shapeshifter composition was not. Not all drawings are created equal—some flow on the paper with immediacy, while others require more patience and exploration. It took me a while to capture the essence of what I  envisioned and felt about Heron.

This is the process of working through a drawing until it feels right.

After a few frustrating sessions, I had to walk away from this piece. But when I came back, there he was—I saw the Heron-Shapeshifter surfacing from the water, breaking the impasse that had left me cold the previous days. He revealed himself to me when I stopped forcing him from his hiding place. He came to me like a fish between the ripples. I didn’t waste any time and went straight to the watercolor paper, like a heron diving for that prize. I triumphantly finished the drawing in a day’s time—a reminder that you can’t always force art, it has to come to you.

Here's the final drawing on cold press watercolor paper. Following my gut instinct, I decided to flip the design.

One last note from Hunt-Kramerville:
What would be a blog post without posting my kids’ drawings too! They see me sketching and drawing birds and wanted to be part of the fun. Kyra took a cartoon-ish approach while Connor couldn’t resist sketching a “robo bird”. I should read him Hans Christian Andersen’s The Nightingale so he realizes that real birds are better than fake ones.

Left: Connor age 11 Right: Kyra age 6

Taking a month off from studio work was not easy to do, but it was essential. Not only did I clean up and organize my surrounds, but I unclogged the brain drain and allowed the mind to clear, cool and recover from years of pushing through my deadlines. Don’t get me wrong, I love my work and I thrive under pressure, but this break was long overdue. I needed to pull back and dip my toes into the refueling pool before diving into the deep intensity of projects anew.

First I cleaned up my house: did some home improvement and redecorated cozy corners.

Cozy Corner Chez Hunt-Kramerville

I also took time to just be mom—helping the kids with end-of-school-year tasks such as Connor’s participation in a talent show and assisting Kyra with her musical ambitions including a recital and subsequent enrollment at a conservatory’s “Preparatory School of Music”.

The kids keep me busy!

But after all that…Hummingbird-Shapeshifter is my comeback image.

It is one of my most colorful pieces I’ve done in years. Its hues mimic the purity of a refreshed mind. The face resembles my friend and piano instructor—a beautiful person who has reintroduced music into my life in a way that is impacting my artwork. This painting took me a while, at least by my standards.

Painting-in-Progress

But I didn’t keep track of time. The only thing that mattered was the desire to express myself through art.

Painting the details

The core of my creativity is humming once again. Simply put, that core is a big ol’ inner orb of luminous desire that bursts with every paint stroke. I felt its fiery pulse pore onto paper–reawakening the dormant spirit with its warm rays as Hummingbird-Shapeshifter took shape. It feels good to be back in the studio, a place where my soul shines and art happens. Sometimes, a break is just thing we need to feed the muses.

Finished Hummingbird-Shapeshifter

Timmy approves of this blog post

From Hungry Ghosts to Hummingbirds, graphite on watercolor paper

That is how I would best describe things here in Hunt-Kramerland right now. As I proof my Ghosts manuscript and check all the art scans (special thanks to the ever-patient Paula and Lynn at USG), I’m looking ahead to my next project focusing on birds. But before taking the next project-plunge with the same level of intensity that has always driven my art, I decided to take a 2 week break and clean out my workspace (among other things).

My studio after spending several days cleaning it out (photo by Kort Kramer)

Not only is spring cleaning uncluttering my surrounds, but it’s helping to cleanse the mind. For me, this is part of transitioning from one project to the next. What started out as an innocent enough desk-organizing task evolved into epic home improvement activity including purging papers decades old (I’m delighted that we’re becoming a paperless society!), painting walls and bookshelves, installing a new toilet (thanks Kort for handling that job) and sink faucet and all the symbolic flushing that goes with that, renewing grout, installing storage shelves, washing curtains, cleaning the garage (well, sort of), planting more flowers, polishing tiles and wood flooring and on and on. Having grown up watching and helping my parents build their house (my father is a brilliant visionary when it comes to construction–and serves as my wise do-it-yourself counselor) I am rather industrious as a middle age gal with hammer, nail, wrench etc.. I know my Pop is proud! I love to fix my home — it forces me to extract myself from the sedentary outpouring of studio days and puts me in the middle of earthy life stuff. It’s the perfect way for me to filter through the obsessiveness of art by forcing me to engage in something physical that renders immediate results.

One of my flower pots

It’s also Spring when flowers bloom and the atmosphere is one of renewed energies. This includes setting up Spring displays and feeling a renewed connection with Mother Earth. In my house, we pay homage to Beatrix Potter during this time of year.

Tusky and Lucy (Kyra's "children") decided to join the soiree.(photos by Kort Kramer)

So while I’m not at my desk, I’m nurturing other aspects of my life and the people in it. This includes eliminating those cluttery distractions and repairing broken corners of the home. I call this cleaning and fixing bug: post-project-comedown-therapy!

Oh, just a reminder, books and toys are NOT clutter.

But come May, I will have my nose back in the sketchbook and art boards. I’ve always told my children that a great way to express oneself is to do something creative. My kids take this to heart and are centered, sweet people as a result…with minds of their own, of course. Here’s Kyra expressing her dismay at hearing the word “NO” about something, especially when it comes to cleaning and uncluttering her own room.  She hasn’t quite discovered the virtues of Spring cleaning yet.

At least she got that out of her system.(photo by Kort Kramer)

Happy Spring Cleaning everyone!

~ Lisa

Poltergeist: Drawing and final watercolor painting

2011 is turning into the year of the unexpected. Instead of fearing the chaos of what seems like truncated routines, I’m learning how to accept the unexpected and to be flexible. Part of this has entailed taking on projects and creating images that I never thought I’d do: new subject matter, new methods, bold creative assertions and a sense of the spontaneous along the way. I’m also studying piano compositions that I never thought I’d learn–a structural pursuit in one way, but one must make time to practice! In between, there’s unpredictable life stuff to tend to. And you know what? It’s exciting to be in a bubble of this sort of chaos–where I’m sitting at the edge of my seat wondering what the day will bring.

I worked on Poltergeist while my husband, who had just turned 40 (Oh, the irony!), threw out his back and was bedridden for nearly a week. It was a tough time full of anxiety. It’s hard to see a loved one suffer—so I took my turmoils to the paper and cranked out this piece. An update: Kort is doing much, much better. Thanks to all of you who sent healing wishes during his recovery!

Painting in progress

As the ghosts paintings are drawing to a close, I’m starting to mentally prep for my bird project. What a nice surprise it was to get a parakeet for my birthday. Meet Kippy or Butterball (no reference to the turkey product please!), as I’m calling him more and more. He’s another studio buddy who chooses to perch and poop (doh!) on my lamp and watch me draw—no worries, art is out of poop range. He’s a sweet bird with impeccable taste and has adopted Timmy’s (studio buddy kitty) preference for classical or jazz music. Kippy is more than willing to let me sketch his beautiful plumage.

Kippy "Butterball" hanging out near my desk

I also have a new hamster. Meet “Evil Creature” (real name Pumpkiny-Pooh). Just look at those red eyes and you can see why this name just rolled off the tongue, with utmost affection of course. EC’s particular idiosyncrasy is that she loves tissue and toilet paper, as she aptly demonstrates in the following photo.

"Evil Creature"

Are you wondering how bird, hamster and cat get along? Well, the critters love the very chaos I just spoke of and are too sanguine to bother each other. There is a good energy in my studio that is conducive for happy creatures.

As for the “boogie woogie”:
I officially started piano lessons at Bravo Academy, where my daughter studies music as well, under the tutelage of an outstanding professional. I haven’t had a formal lesson in 25 years, but that didn’t stop me. I went in holding my beloved Chopin book, with every intention of focusing on Nocturnes. Instead, Sivabruntha hands me Winifred Atwell’s Five Finger Boogie and tells me to play it. Um, I’ve never played anything but strict classical fare and here I was looking at a piece that, from my perspective, is a routine breaker! But despite my initial hesitation, it turns out, I love to boogie on the keys! It’s exhausting music but also invigorating for the mind, body and spirit. So in addition to a Chopin Nocturne, I am working on perfecting Five Finger Boogie for an upcoming late spring recital. I’m the first student of Sivabruntha’s to work on this, so I’m honored to be studying such an outstanding piece. I’m also glad that I’m being exposed to some incredible musicians that somehow fell under the mainstream radar, unfortunately.

Here’s Winifred playing her composition back in the 1950′s (I’m guessing) during the height of her fame.

Oh, and just a reminder–I’m smack in the middle of my forties and yet I’m far from being stuck in a malaise of middle age doldrums. It’s never too late to paint, play piano, or do things that you wish you can do. I find that it’s okay to break routines. Just go do it! I don’t mind being the oldest student of anything–as long as I keep learning and growing, I’ll never get truly old.

~ Lisa