Hi there, and welcome! I'm Jeremy Brown and I'm glad you're here. If you are interested in:
...making space in your life to pursue an old passion (or start something new)
...seeing yourself as an artist
...feeling good about getting paid for creative work
...uncovering a dream you've been hiding
...helping your child with his or her creative pursuits
...using art to make a difference in the lives of others
then you're in the right place. The Lifelong Artist Blog is all about helping you find ways to explore the creative impulses you were born with.
No matter where you are in life, it is never too late - or too early - to start doing the things that make you feel alive.
What Do You Want?
Maybe you grew up like I did, believing you always had to share and put the interests of others ahead of your own. Help others. Always say yes, even when it costs you. Life isn't about what you want. It's about what others need.
I believe in helping others, but if you burn out and lose your vitality, you can't help anyone. We are each born with the desire to grow, to learn, to challenge ourselves. When life is filled with only doing what is necessary to survive and take care of others, there is no room for asking ourselves what we want.
Each of us has a calling, a purpose, a unique set of interests and desires. And most of us haven't had much training in how to explore and nurture that part of ourselves.
This blog is about getting back to when we were kids, when the world was wide open and we believed anything was possible.
Your life might feel overwhelming, yet no matter how crazy things are for you (and believe me, I know exactly how crazy and overwhelming life can be), there is always at least a little space to be found to slow things down and start asking the important questions.
Life is a journey. The key is in knowing where you want to go next, getting your bearings, and taking one step at a time.
About Jeremy
I'm in my thirties, living in Montana with my wife and four children. I dabble in writing, spend my work days doing carpentry for fun and profit, and mow the lawn in the summertime. I like to read, listen to podcasts, and go for long walks.
I've always wanted to be an artist, someone who lives life in a creative, meaningful, connecting way.
Growing up, I was more intuitive. I depended on my intuition too much as a strength, assuming that the artists I came in contact with just kind of happened into their talents and skills, when in reality each had put in the time and effort to get where they were.
I blew here and there, wherever the winds of life took me, thinking I couldn't possibly be one of those people who does anything remarkable or amazing in the world.
It took me about fifteen years of learning things the hard way - laboring too long on the wrong things and burning myself out - to come to the place where I found myself ready dig into what I believe in and care about.
Life is short, and I don't want to spend my own life waiting for someone else to connect me with what I'm on the planet to be and do. Finding my purpose is my job.
So I'm examining what it means to be an artist, and one of my favorite ways of exploring is to look more closely at the lives of those I admire and want to be like.
I want to know the reality of living life with eyes wide open, knowing what excites me, chasing what makes me feel alive, touching the lives of the people I care deeply about.
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