Pursuing my dream - Oregon College of Art and Craft

About a month ago I submitted my application and portfolio to the Oregon College of Art and Craft (OCAC) and have been waiting on pins and needles since. This past Friday the admissions office called me up to tell me that my application had been accepted and that they would like to offer me a $6,000 annually renewable scholarship. What?? I was in shock. I missed most of the rest of the conversation at that point. When I got off the phone with admissions I shouted in excitement, then I cried. My son asked me if I was sad, I told him that I was happy. He looked a bit confused. Then again, he's 3 1/2 and tears usually mean sad to him. I was in shock, for three days. I scooped up my son, Vincent, right away and drove to meet his daddy at work. I had to tell him in person, and I had to tell him first. He was so happy for me. I think he was in a bit of shock too.

I'm sure that many others have received scholarships much larger than I have, but this is my first. I've never received anything of this magnitude for my work, for myself. I feel as though I have fought the world for many years for what I wanted. And now, the world was opening up her bosom to me and welcoming me. This is such an alien feeling. I have always been an artist. I can't remember a time when I haven't had art in my life in one form or another. Three years when I returned to school I told my father the news and he asked if I would be pursuing business. Business? Really?? "No dad, I'm an artist." Artists do need to know quite a bit about business, don't get me wrong, but art has not been seen as a viable career in my family. I am sure that most artists out there have experienced this in one form or another. Even my ceramics instructor, who has been teaching for more than a decade and has had his work shown in Europe still hesitates to tell people that he is a sculptor to avoid the looks that people give. Well, looks or not, I am an artist and I will die pursuing that dream. And on my journey I will be stopping off at OCAC for a couple of years. *grin*

Keep your passion burning, don't let anyone hold you down.

I know, I know, the burrowing owls are huge! Didn't you know? I just LOVE burrowing owls.