
Until now I have never told anyone the personal experiences that I faced as a child. Now that my career has taken a turn creating children's illustrations I hope to share challenges I faced growing up so I can encourage children and their parents to be more aware of their feelings and the feelings of others.
My life started as a new born baby weighing 11.8lbs. I was also born with club feet having to wear special shoes until age 3, and so I walked kind of funny with slightly crooked feet. I was always very shy and I felt very much like a misfit. I had 5 loving brothers and sisters, and without them realizing their little quirky jokes about their baby sister being a baby elephant left me with an inferior complex.
My parents placed me in a private school at age four because I loved learning. I knew how to read and write and basic mathematics and was moved up to 2nd grade at age 5. School was another challenge as I was looked upon at being different and so I found myself seeking friends who also seemed somewhat different.
I always felt like a misfit due to my weight and level of education.
In this painting we see a shy little fish who is being welcomed into a group. No one wants to feel left out. It"s more fun to include everyone. Making someone feel accepted will put a smile on their face and sunshine in the hearts of the people around us. Sometimes we find ourselves making judgement on others even in our adult years. Think about the last time you felt left out, or you noticed someone who felt shy or left out....