Did you find yourself creatively inspired or creatively stunted during lockdown? Since it was such a heavy time, I tried to funnel that energy into keeping my creative muscle flexed and toned!

I'm still the Events and Marketing Photographer at The Mariners' Museum and Park. They've kept me around for a year and a half now, so I guess I have successfully fooled them all! MWAHAHAHAHA! (That's supposed to be my sinister laugh) I've learned and grown so much. It's been wonderful to work in an organization that continues to serve and grow throughout hardships.

Artist/Coast Guard spouse Erica Hunter's take-your-dreams-by-the-reins-and-enjoy-the-ride attitude is exactly what we all need right now as we go into the summer. If there's an art genre you've been anxious to try, toss aside those hesitations and go for it.

I mentioned that I started my career as an artist just as Covid-19 shut everything down. I was pretty optimistic despite the uncertainty, but shortly after the article was published, it was like someone hit the pause button. I found out a museum exhibition I’d been accepted into was put on hold. Opportunities were slim and I felt like I was sort of coasting along in limbo. For a short time, I did consider setting aside my work. I’m not even sure what triggered it, but one day, I made the conscious decision to go all in and made a plan.

I left you last January, with talk of hopes and dreams, of new art ventures to come and experiences with travel inspirations, that I looked forward to during our stay in South Korea, at Camp Humphreys. Little did I know that right around the corner, was a storm approaching that would change my plans tremendously!

German poet Christian Morgenstern’s poem “The Seagulls” begins “seagulls look as though their name were Emma.” It makes our world sound so simple, everything in nature is as it is, in place and together. The artist, however, dissects her world, sees patterns, colors, sometimes multiple colors in a single moss-covered rock in the forest. Which leads to the question, are all forests the same? And is nature really that simple?

Once in a while, things just "click!" Our July interviewee, photographer Heather K. Purdy, shares with us her beautiful images - forged when a flash of inspiration lights up the studiously honed canvas of her craft. With agility, talent, and hard work Heather has built a business in fine art photography and client portraiture while traveling the globe.

Since my guest post last year quite a bit has happened, but funny enough, most of that occurred just earlier this year. The rest of 2019 continued pretty much the same (professionally anyways). I continued working for Navy MWR part-time, as well as with the Army at Ft. Eustis as an on-call photographer photographing events and studio portraits.

2020 has been a huge kick in the pants for me, and as my husband so calmly assessed, “We were about due.” But, before I get into what a slog the last couple months have been, let me share how awesome 2019 was.

Hello from Camp Humphreys, South Korea!!Last year, at this time, I was planning my "Coastal" art show, from MacDill AFB, in Tampa, Florida. The show took place last March and was a huge success! The paintings were inspired by the tropical beach environment of the gulf coast. It was a wonderful opportunity to gather one last time, to say goodbye to my friends in Florida, before our PCS to Korea, and to share my love of art.I arrived in Korea this past summer with my husband, two teen daughters and our chocolate lab.

I just got back from a month-long residency at Jentel Arts Foundation in Banner, Wyoming in November. Artist residencies are kind of like art camp for adults. Usually you get paid (a little), they put you up, give you studio space to create and sometimes even feed you.

Painter and Air Force spouse Atalante Shay discusses art's therapeutic nature as she looks forward to exploring new mediums. Here at MislpoFAN, we're cheering her on as she ventures into children's literature.

Since my interview in June 2017 I have unfortunately traveled a lot less. It's so much harder and more expensive in and from the US than Europe, but I try to do local or regional events as they come up, and get out of town if even for a local "stay-cation" for a day or two. I did that this weekend in Colonial Williamsburg, actually.

Frequent PCSing often leaves military spouses no option other than putting careers on hold for the short-term or even long-term. Mil spouse photographer Meredith Ryncarz has developed a way to keep her business going from move to move, with strategies that help her establish new clients/bookings before she has reached the new duty station. With so many mil spouses going through the same career frustrations, Meredith shares these strategies to help other mil spouse creative business owners.

Army spouse Christy Tremblay’s mixed-media art is the perfect metaphor for a multi-textured, multi-layered military life. As mil-spouses, we often don’t know where life is taking us next as we evolve with each new place and experience, and all of those unexpected places and experiences become layers that shape us into the people we never knew we could be. There is beauty in all that layering and evolution, in the unforeseen and in adaptation. Christy Tremblay’s unexpected journeys leads us to magical gardens and dream-like landscapes; they are places that celebrate.

I continue to paint every day and constantly stretch the boundaries of my abilities. I belong to a group of four mentor/friends that travel together and show our art at different venues.  We have been to Waterworks Art Museum in Miles City, Montana,  are currently showing at the courthouse Art Museum in Clarksville, Tennessee and are looking forward to a venue in Japan!  Travel is always a plus to getting these shows.

I’ve been blessed in the last year to work with some incredible artists on interesting and challenging projects. It took a little bit to get going the first six months but then things just really picked up in a big way. Now I’m involved in something art related at least every month. Which is fabulous because I’m motivated to continue making work and working towards my goals.

Maria is a military spouse and painter who specializes in portraits. She blogs consistently about her work and her process. She is a warm, joyful woman and I’ve felt privileged to get to know her a bit through her blog, our emails, and this interview. For me, her story reads as an inspiration about how important our work as artists is to honoring and reconciling our intertwined identities of “dependent” and “independent”. Spoiler alert: Maria didn’t start painting until later in her life, but she now seems to be making up for lost time by practicing her art consistently and consciously building an artistic team of support.