In Kindergarten, my best friend Courtney and I made plans to run away from home. With our 3 year old sisters. We didn’t want to leave them stranded as only children at home without us. So we developed an escape itinerary; we packed hot pink sleeping bags and pillows. I brought goldfish, and Courtney brought Gushers. I filled up a tote bag with Beanie Babies, sparkly gel pens, poll pockets, and some Pogs. The essentials, obviously. But the key to our plan’s success was that our moms couldn’t find out—they would inevitably crush our adventure.
I quietly packed all our things into bubble gum pink Barbie suitcases, and I “hid” them by the front door, stacked neatly inside my Radio Flyer wagon. I’d need the wagon for the 1 mile journey to our destination: our school, Lakeside Elementary.
I knew that my “hiding spot” by the front door was a bit too obvious, but I knew exactly how to avoid sounding the alarm of our escape. Before stashing the Radio Flyer in plain sight, I had instructed my mom to “not look by the front door.” There. It was settled—now, no one could stop me. I trusted confidently in my mom’s honesty to not foil our plans; I finished my packing arrangements. My mom cautiously circled the perimeter of our front entrance, surely curious about all the commotion, but I never once caught her peeking at my luggage. Everything was going as I had hoped.
The plan was to meet at Courtney’s house at 6 pm and then head over to Lakeside Elementary together, sisters in tow, where we would spend the night. Without our parents. Courtney lived half way between my house and the school, so I needed to head out early to get to her place. Just as I was ready to begin my runaway scheme, the phone rang. It was Courtney. When I got on the line, Courtney’s soft voice muttered the most confusing words that I hadn’t expected her to say: “my mom said we can’t run away to Lakeside.” “WHAT?!?!” I responded. “Courtney, you weren’t supposed to tell your mom!!!” What was she thinking? Why had she told her mom? I had explicitly told her not to. I had been so careful to prevent my mom’s interventions…I told my mom not to look by the front door. And she didn’t. And Courtney told her mom that we were going to escape! And now we couldn’t go. I felt crushed that Courtney had clearly missed my instructions and now my strategic plans were ruined.
I’m guessing I was the ring leader of this little project…I was an older sister known for being bossy and a bit mischievous. And for my big ideas…like when I put on a whole Nutcracker production for my neighborhood when I was 7. I got the lead role for every scene. My younger sister was cast as the villain. I was the casting director, obviously.
Also at age 7, I woke my sister up around 3 am and decided that we needed to bake some Easy Bake brownies in the oven. Unfortunately, I didn’t know how to turn on the oven, so I woke up my dad to help us. He heated up the oven for us and let us bake until our disgusting brownies were burnt to a crisp. I can’t even imagine what he was thinking, but he never got mad at us for our late night baking episode.
Another time in Kindergarten, I hosted a party at my house…without telling my mom. I passed out invitations at school and asked my babysitter to chaperone us because I knew we needed a responsible “adult,” and I was worried that my mom would foil my plans like Courtney’s mom had foiled our escape plan. I was generally a well-behaved child, but I also had big ideas for such a small person.
So what exactly was I hoping to get out of Escaping to Lakeside? I wasn’t in the mindset of running away and never returning. I had a loving home and parents who took great care of me. I just wanted to camp out at my favorite place—school. And I knew parental approval wouldn’t be granted—so a one-night runaway was what I had in mind. Escaping to Lakeside was a creative, independent adventure. I anticipated it being a best friend campout on the school grounds, free reign of the swing sets, fireflies dancing under the shimmer of the playground lights, spooky stories told by yours truly, and a lot of 90’s magic. Full self-confidence that I could do something I’d never done before, and that it would be fun & sparkly.
And that’s what inspired my “Escape to Lakeside” Collection. Channelling that 5-year-old confidence that I could create adventures and do brave things. Maybe that’s what I’ve unconsciously been trying to do with my new businesses. In my art, my marketing, my work. Channelling some naive, inexperienced confidence—the confidence you get before your heart gets crushed. But then again, maybe it never will get crushed. That kind of confidence should be protected through the highs and lows of life and even in business. Because even when you get shot down or criticized, or your bold escape plans get crushed, you’re still that brave person on the inside. That bold sparkly girl who believed in herself enough to do something she’d never done. She knew she’d get skeptics, and she prepared accordingly. She filled up her Radio Flyer with the most sparkly supplies she could find and did everything in her power to prepare for her adventure.
But now she’s older. And a bit wiser…but maybe not by much. More scars, but still sparkly. And now, she’s filling up her Radio Flyer again. Not with pogs and Beanie Babies this time. But with paintbrushes. And sparkles. And glitter and jewels. She knows what the critics will say. And she’s prepared for that as best as one can—telling them to not “look by the front door.”
If Courtney’s mom tries to cancel her plans again, she’s still going on her adventure. She’s an adult now; she’s finally grown into her big ideas. She can still go on her adventure, even if Courtney’s mom won’t allow her to join. This girl’s not going to let her plans get crushed, and she’s going to bring all the sparkles she can carry. She knows the risks, but she also knows she’s brave. Just as she was before. And she’s already left on her journey to Escape to Lakeside.
“Escape to Lakeside 001” is on display at RTown Gallery in Grapevine, TX ONLY for the rest of this month. And she’s even more stunning in person—the texture just can’t be replicated through the screen, but it is so vibrant and dynamic. The piece is 12”x12” and is mounted on a 16”x16” frame, mixed media with acrylic, glitter, and sparkles. I have so many new, exciting pieces I’ll be releasing in the coming months (I’ve already made a bunch, and I’m trying hard not to release them all at once). A few days ago, I started my new weekly newsletter that will be releasing every Friday morning. It will have my book reviews & ratings, sneak peaks of my upcoming work, coupons, random musings, some extra personality & stories from me, and favorite internet finds & articles. More personal than my Instagram, a fun weekly catch up on all the things in my brain. You can subscribe to my free weekly newsletter here. I rebranded my two websites here and here, and everything is feeling so officially. And most exciting is this….
Last weekend, I got to attend the gallery opening and see my piece hanging in the gallery for the first time. The last few years have been a wild ride for many reasons, and seeing my art on the gallery wall in Grapevine, only 10 miles away from Lakeside Elementary School where I grew up, felt like such a full circle moment of growth and resilience and courage. Here’s to new adventures. May you also find the courage to Escape to Lakeside.