College was epic. I was a late bloomer, set free in downtown Chicago. Columbia College was the only college I applied to, largely because they didn’t require ACT scores—and mine were dismal. Ironically, I didn’t study art in college. I loved art but a career in art was for the brave and talented and I was neither of those things. And although I was a decade away from picking up a paint brush for the first time, it was here in Chicago that seeds were planted. Seeds of bravery, creativity and hope - planted and ready to grow.
Chicago completely changed me. I fell in love with the hustle and bustle, the buildings, the smells, the chaos, the people. I made new friends, explored the city, and completely stepped outside of my comfort zone.
I got my first tattoo in Chicago (the word Hope on my back). I walked around with a Free Hug sign and embraced hundreds of strangers on the sidewalks of Chicago. I climbed 103 floors to the top of the Sears Tower. I saw Oprah live in Millennium Park when she hosted 150 USA Olympians. I was one of the 24,000 people in Grant Park the night President Obama was elected. I won free tickets to Wicked (front row!)
It’s been 15 years since I’ve graduated. So much has happened. Marriage, babies, divorce, deaths, more tattoos, pink hair. And now, this weekend, I’m back in Chicago exhibiting in an art fair literally across the street from my old dorm. It’s one of those fun little full circle moments in my life, and it is so delightful - it makes me believe in fate for just a second.
In the Dorms: Printer's Row: 2009 Printer's Row Art Fest: 2024
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