Loving You - Minnie Riperton

Most people describe me as a little weird, which is okay because I've come to realize my reality tends to be different than most people's; which I believe to be true of most creative types. I grew up in Gahanna, Ohio, doing arts and crafts in the kitchen with my siblings and mom. My mother, whose also an artist, nurtured my creativity from a young age and led me to believe I could be anything I desired. In college I majored in art at Tennessee State University, where I focused on jewelry and metals, but it wasn't until I was rejected from multiple graduate programs that I began seriously painting. For me, painting allowed me to push through the pain of not feeling good enough to be an artist, as well as show me a talent I didn't really know I possessed. But, more importantly it showed me to not let rejection cripple me. I see painting as my second chance, and I'm finally ready to let my inner light shine.