Realizing a Dream

Me and Shannon with her Alaska three bears prints

My set up ready for customers

The book fair last weekend was very successful. I sold art and books. Met a lot of customers and made some new customers. So many of the visitors had great ideas for paintings. I love being inspired by my patrons and supporters.

This was the weekend that almost wasn't. I kept waiting for my email giving me the details for set up, etc. and it never came! When I called, the organizers admitted they had forgotten me. Fortunately they squeezed me in. WHEW!

Then, as I am setting up I realize I am next to Shannon Cartwright. Yes, THE children's book illustrator for Alaska. Will this help me bring crowds or will I get shadowed by her popularity and get missed completely. My business brain was in full speed. I said hello and told her I was a fan. She was cool and distracted.

The show was off and running. By now Shannon and I were more relaxed and started to chat. We are both from Michigan. She shared some very personal, sad stories of her life. We bonded. Later I am driving home and I realize I have bonded with Shannon Cartwright. She would roll her eyes if she read that line but even though I told her my story she doesn't appreciate what her art symbolized to me.

When I moved to Alaska and started working for Alaska Magazine I was told to go buy art for my office. No problem. I bought Shannon's prints of the three Alaska bears. I would sit at my desk at a job that wasn't what my heart wanted. I went to college to be an artist and yet here I sat working in sales at a magazine, staring at these prints. Staring at the career I was sure I would never have. I hated Shannon, loved her, admired her, was jealous and some day wished I could be like her.

So on that drive home it hit me. I was an artist, a children's book illustrator at an art show sitting across from Shannon. She bought some of my art. We talked business, we talked life. If the 'me' staring at those prints in that Alaska magazine office could see me now she would be whooping for joy. And that is what I did in my car, laughed and whooped for joy.