The Wandering Years (2015-19)

After graduating from college I had a few leads, but not a clear plan of what I wanted to do next. I guess I figured opportunities would just fall into my lap and that is sort of what happened. In hindsight I was wandering pretty aimlessly from idea to idea without a clear vision for what I wanted out of life. The silver lining of this period was getting to pick up and go to a new place or even country at the drop of a hat. I moved about every six months for the next 3-4 years.

Some highlights from this time period: 

• In 2014 I got a job as a Graphic Designer at a leadership development company called Giant Impact, but quit after a few months to go do an internship at the John C. Campbell Folk School.

• I spent most of 2015 living in New Zealand. The main job I had was teaching at an after school program and helping out at a church, but I also got to paint murals, help out on a construction site, and travel all around the country. 

• In 2016-2017 I moved to Augusta to work at Chick-fil-A,  moved to St. Louis to go to seminary, dropped out of seminary, worked at Chick-fil-A again, quit and moved back to Atlanta. Did an Artist Residency at the Harrison Center in Indianapolis. 

• Spring of 2018 I was able to go the Dominican Republic and intern for my sister at the Young Life camp there. I financed the trip by pre-selling a series of paintings that I completed while I was there. The experience was so much fun and I really enjoyed connecting with the people in her world there. 

I continued painting off and on through this period to varying degrees of success. I was incredibly grateful for some very generous commissions but I was never able to sustain a consistent studio practice. My teaching experience in NZ revealed a gifting and joy I had not let myself consider before. So, I decided to go back to Covenant College for their Master's in Teaching program to get trained and certified as an Art Teacher. After an intense 18 month graduate program I got a job teaching art and coaching cross country at my old high school back in Atlanta, summer 2019! I also met a very important person that summer too 😁