My Inspiration, My Dad, and a Legacy

Spring time is about renewal. It is about moving forward and living life. But I'll be honest, it has been hard to do with a heavy heart.

I lost someone incredibly important to me. The emotions are still very raw and the cut is still deep. There are days where I move forward with the daily grind emotionless, while others are filled with long hours of uncontrollable tears. As you can imagine, I have been struggling with the decision to write and post about my loss in such a public way. But this is a blog about my creative endeavors and the people and things that inspire me. So I'd be remiss if I didn't mention the legacy my Dad left me.

My Dad is the most talented person I know next to my Mom. I've been blessed to have two very talented parents. My Dad was an artist, a photographer, a Chinese brush and English calligrapher, a wood craftsman, a letterpress and layout designer (before modern computer technology), and a banjo musician, to name a few of his talents.

Naturally, as his daughter, I picked up a few things from him having spent many summers at his workshop/office. I am a designer and a maker today because of my Dad.

I have no words to describe how much I miss him. But every time I create something, I know there's a little bit of him that comes out in me and a little bit of him in my creation. While it's tough, being creative has been a nice and therapeutic distraction.

And so, I continue my creative journey...
- KRAFTY pearl