I think it runs in my blood. See, my grandfather was an inventor of sorts…although none of his big ideas were ever patented, they could have been, and his mind was ALWAYS finding creative solutions to everyday problems. My childhood favorite was how he made a kite string holder out of a Maxwell House coffee can so my little hands could quickly bring in the kite flying so high above without his help. His son, (my dad) is also a dreamer. Dad has a fantastic imagination which makes him the consummate storyteller. He has always had the vision of what wonderful things could happen in any situation. My father has songs in his head, scripts to new TV shows, and a children’s book idea, just to name a few. He taught me to dream…to hope that really good things could happen. A little risk, a little ingenuity, and a lot of heart can lead to an exciting life where you realize your wildest dreams.
So, I know I am incredibly lucky to have grown up in an environment that was safe for a creative, right brained soul like myself. Fast forward 40+ years later, and here I am, still with markers and drawing pads and paint brushes in hand dreaming about what I can create for my family, my career, for this world.
And then 2020 turned our daily routines upside down. 2020, you really threw a curveball at us. We are all still processing you.
Like so many people these past few months, I have found new ways to both do my job and homeschool my kiddos. I have been praying. A lot. I have been eating too much and soul searching and learning to be a better global citizen. To have conversations about racism that go beyond the love and acceptance for all that is already the norm in my house. Now we talk about activism and how to take action every chance you get. All this while having groceries delivered and trying to keep all my birdies in the nest and of course…
………I have been painting.
When I meet a blank canvas, I ask it to tell me what it wants to become. I rarely bring fully formed ideas with me from the start. It is more like opening a doorway to something wonderful, waiting to come in. I feel more like I am channeling a beautiful energy than depicting a landscape. And what I want you to know is that as I have been painting through 2020, I can look back and say that I have been channeling HOPE. The dreamer in me has met the unrest of this year with hard earned hope. Hope that 2020 will wake us up to the parts of our life we were sleeping through. Hope that life can continue to slow down and center on quality family life. Hope that a vaccine will come soon. Hope that humanity can evolve. That I can offer hope to those who have lost it.
I will do my part with the tools I have at hand. I am an artist. My greatest desire is to spread joy and color through my paint. To create images that invite you into contemplation, reflection…that uplift and inspire. To help you make your home a beautiful, inspiring place that is unique to you. Besides, you have been home a lot more that ever before, so you might as well make it a place you love. So, no matter what the rest of 2020 dishes up, I will meet it with HOPE.
SAVE THE DATE for the drop of my newest work, THE HOPE COLLECTION, on July 9th on my website and then in person at Emily Mangus Interiors in Roanoke, VA. Forty new works from my heart to the canvas for your perfect wall. May we all continue to dream…and hope that we can make really good things happen.
Julie