Art is not just a way to express emotions, but a way to embrace the positive and combat the negative. We mil-spouses know how military life disrupts the status quo, and our kiddos can sometimes internalize their feelings about that disruption. Art serves as a release and a constant, no matter the locale. Our kiddos paint their dreams, write words of courage, dance out frustration, meditate through music…

It’s good to be invited back to write a guest post. I’ve experienced much change in my life since I was the featured artist on the Milspo FAN Blog in March of 2021. At the time of the feature, I was sewing like crazy and creating so much for my own enjoyment and for my Etsy Shop. My craft room was full of fabric, thread, and sewing project possibilities. I had also dived back into watercolor painting, and it felt good to be so focused. I loved spending time in my craft room and having time to myself. My husband and I started planning trips, plus projects we both wanted to complete that upcoming summer. Little did I know how much would change in 2022 and my creative projects would come to a temporary halt.

Perspective is essential in navigating life as a mil-spouse, and illustrator/watercolorist/naturalist Grace Hart discovers beauty in the least likely places.

Maker/creative/mil-spouse Emily Ullo Steigler carries many skills in her tool belt, but her most important one is not being afraid to venture into a new creative endeavor.  

A desire to capture his family's travel experiences led watercolor artist/graphic designer Matt Valverde to create artwork and graphic designs. Matt embraces mistakes, practices resilience in the face of resistance, and enjoys connecting with community members both at home and in travel - all habits that further cultivate his creative work. We hope Matt's story will inspire you to create something too!

This month's artist/Army spouse, Katherine Rodgers, uses every location and experience as a classroom. From friends, family, history, environment,...there is always something new to learn, inspiration for new ideas, and the possibility of new opportunities.

This past year has been both exciting and challenging. My husband and I departed New York City and settled in beautiful but warm San Antonio! Upon arriving we had our share of challenges both in finding jobs to support our more spacious but still modest apartment. I ended up taking a position at a prominent executive protection firm as an accounts payable specialist.

Multi-medium-artist/writer/illustrator/Navy spouse Kimberly Yong Ratliff creates art and stories inspired by the multi-layered cultures around her and the beautiful landscapes she's visited. Embracing the Ohana spirit, each new place (or even virtual connection) offers opportunities for friendships and sharing.

Sarah Doran, author and military children’s book creator, has experienced almost every side of military life- from growing up as a military child, to her time as a Blackhawk helicopter mechanic, and currently as a veteran and military spouse. Sarah found her true passion for writing with the help of a good friend's advice - which inspired her to create stories for and about military children.

One of the great things about this opportunity is that it propelled me into creating more and got me back into the flow for the projects that I had planned at that time. I also decided to go back to work full time and my husband, and I recommitted to starting a family.

Painter and Army spouse Krista Carlberg Litz of KCLStudio teaches us that including art in our daily lives not only maintains creativity, but also boosts the spirit.

Air Force Spouse Amra Graff goes with the flow in her military life and with her artwork. Amra creates organic, emotive art pieces that reflect the fluidity of the transformations we go through with each PCS and each new experience.

This past year brought with it both challenges and opportunities. Finding the creative thought to infuse my art with the faces of those around me has been more of a challenge. The isolation of COVID brought with it a lack of seeing the beautiful faces of the people in this world. I miss doing portraits, especially those portraying women of my culture given the recent unfolding of tragedy in Afghanistan. Women’s rights are under direct threat there now more than ever.

With dancer and Air Force spouse Julie Mulvihill's love of process, she resiliently 'choreographs' ways to work and create from anywhere in the world and during the pandemic. Plus, her love story is so adorable that I think it could be made into a movie.

Since my last interview, a lot of things have changed. COVID-19 completely shut the business down and my attempts to pivot our services via an online community was not widely accepted as anticipated. However, that time spent at home gave me the momentum needed to spring forward into a space I did not foresee for myself or my studio.

Artist and Army spouse Victoria Page Miller finds adventure and inspiration in the unknown. Like the comic book characters she currently paints, Victoria bravely says, Unpredictable Future, show me what you got, and I'll meet you with a new creation.

This month, painter/textile artist/sewist/milspouse Amy Jolley inspires us to try something new. Change is inevitable, so why not welcome it...or even boldly step out of our comfort zones and seek it?

A year ago in my interview here on MilSpoFan, I talked about my philosophy of “bloom where you’re planted”, meaning make the most of your location, stage of life or circumstances. This past year has put that philosophy to the test in more ways than one! But even with all the uncertainty, disappointments and changes of this past year, I feel like I’ve been able to bloom. I learned an important lesson about applying something I’ve always known as an artist to my everyday life. In reflecting on this past year, I find hope in these lessons and I pray you do too. 

The city living was not for us, none of my family was happy. We found a small mountain town three hours away from Las Vegas that is just perfect. We are in a small community in the mountains, surrounded by cows, mountains, and springs. I feel like I can breathe here. The only problem is I don't have an art outlet close by.