An Acute Case of Cubicle Claustrophobia

I am currently in in a 2 person photography show that opened September 13th, 2008. It's a black and white Urban Landscape Show, with Michael Vinci at A Studio Gallery in Studio City, CA. I must say that I love the work that I had in the show and am proud of it, even amazed at the images. Having a show was a learning experience. I realized many things from having a show....

1.) I am an artist.
I studied art in school, dabbled at various forms of art throughout my busy child-rearing days... never fully tried to be an artist, or really thought of myself as one. I was a Mom, raising 3 children on my own, working to pay the bills... I often worked several flexible part-time jobs at at a time.. I worked as an assistant to many artists over the years.. At one job I put glazes on hand-painted earrings. I also worked for a potter who made hand-thrown lighting sconces and big pots... I spent time mixing clay and watching an expert potter throw pots as I carved shapes into the wet clay.. it was lovely, working in his funky workspace... I worked for a fabric artist. I hand painted huge pieces of fabric in a big,old building, along side some kooky artist types. That was fun.
I also worked at the Mall, did receptionist work, drove jeep tours -anything that I could find to do.. I tried to make a rule to take jobs that were at least a bit art-related, but that was not always possible.. I once bolted out of a temp. job that I took, because the cubicle was closing in on me, due to an acute case of telemarketing cubicle claustrophobia. I do have my limits.
I recall applying to one job as an artists' assistant where the lady told me in no uncertain terms, "you have so much experience-sounds like you should have your own art business"... She did not hire me. There is such a thing as being over-qualified, I guess.
So with this odd listing of work- and believe me I haven't even told you the half of it- how could I really be anything but an artist? In the family of extremely analytical types that I grew up in, artists were to be ridiculed.. (but I was supported in many ways, too , by my parents.) It is now that I am finally understanding who I am, though, and learning to embrace my artistic ways and myself. To be continued.....