In 2011, after reading Julia Cameron’s book The Artist’s Way, I took on the goal of writing the story of my first marriage, and how I went from a weak, naïve young wife to a strong single bisexual mom. The writing process became a platform of immense emotional healing. I joined groups in person and online, where I began to take the armor off and stop mirroring others to find agency. I worked with editors to get my writing in a submittable form for publishing. I am presently enjoying posting with other writers on Substack.com, and especially reading Elizabeth Gilbert's website about Unconditional Love.

While earning a BA in French, I lived a year in Paris, France, attended the Alliance française and the Scola Cantorum de Paris for ballet, and hitchhiked to neighboring countries. The year in France and traveling to neighboring countries opened my eyes to a shift in my politics and worldview, but mostly I felt a tinge of emancipation from my conservative upbringing . . . the freedom to spend days in front of the paintings I had only seen in books, to walk in gardens where the landscape was art.

After earning a master’s degree in second languages and cultures from the University of Minnesota, I taught for twenty-five years in Minneapolis Public Schools. As a teacher and single mother, I supported myself and three children, and wrote grants for students of low economic status to participate in trips abroad. When I retired, I not only began writing this autobiographical novel, but also realized my dream of creating pottery at Northern Clay Center. Before moving to Minneapolis, I taught creative dance and ballet in my home as a young mother.

I now gather monthly with a small group of empath teachers who initially supported my Artist Way goal. I live in Minneapolis with my husband of twenty-six years, enjoying gardening and traveling.