What does "having it all" mean to you? The truth is, is that I don't feel like I have it all. But my focus has shifted in the last few years. I don't feel like having it all is what will bring me happiness. What has made me feel content lately is being grateful for what I do have and finding balance. And I don't have it all. I have some. And I love it.
I love where I live, not my own house but a big house in Berkeley that is the hub of a very large and dynamic community of people with a constantly revolving set of activities. I do have a studio where I can make art and I am so grateful for that. I sell and show my art work on a regular basis which allows me to feel a measure of success in my profession as an artist.
I don't have kids, but I never really wanted them. This is a point of some insecurity with me because our society teaches women that to fulfill your life as a woman you must have children. I never subscribed to that. I knew from the earliest age that I was artist and that is what I wanted to manifest in life.
And I'm doing it. Am I rich? Far from it. But I've arranged my life so that I have the resources and time to feed my creativity and express it. This is where I channel my energy. And I suppose that is a form of riches.
Portrait by Anneli Nygards