If you could give your past self some advice, what would you tell yourself?
I would say live life to the fullest. Do not waste any minutes, we do not know how many we are allotted.
Do you have a mantra or phrase you live by? What is it?
Measure twice, cut once. (I often work in textiles as an artist). I find if I double-check my work before I start the execution of a plan, I make fewer mistakes and have less wasted material. I have learned this lesson the hard way.
What is your number one business goal this year?
I must finish what I have started. I am currently working on a very large wall hanging for the Lancers Sports and Recreation Complex which is affiliated with the University of Windsor. It is one of my biggest textile pieces to date. I have another comprehensive piece hanging at the visitor’s centre in Point Pelee National Park. This current one will be of a similar magnitude.
What is your number one priority when it comes to your career and daily work?
My number one priority is to set goals, make a targeted plan to complete projects and then execute the plan.
What is your favourite thing about what you do in your career and why?
The stimulation of the creative process daily is what I love about my work. I love observing the natural world and noticing it in all its glory. Being aware of the subtleties of colour and texture in the surrounding landscape and then depicting those observations in different mediums is fantastic. Wonder abounds in the world around me, and the creator has made it quite magical. How I choose to capture it, is a new puzzle every day and I am grateful for it.
What makes you motivated on a daily basis? I am motivated by the fact that I am alive and all my parts work just fine. I am able to observe and enjoy the world around me walking through it and taking time to be aware of all its gifts. Mobility is a gift, as is sight, and the ability to communicate. I am thankful each morning my eyes open and I hop out of bed to start a new day.
