Trucker Reclining in a Chair

Writing Trucker’s Story…Not Quite as Easy as Painting it

It is early morning, Easter Sunday, and I am alone in an empty yoga studio. I am in a room where the sun pours in, and casts magical swathes of light across the floor.  I come here every morning to meditate and to write.

Right now, I am sprawled on the floor nestled in a sunbeam.  Pen in hand, words stream onto the paper with such velocity I can barely read my handwriting.  (No matter, though, since I am not stopping to try.)  Throughout the winter I have written hundreds of pages here (no laptop yet). I’m aware that none of those words has ever made it to my blog or computer.  After only a few entries, in fact, my blog has sat still for the past six months.

When I created my first website years ago, I included a page titled, Trucker’s Story.  It was here I had intended to tell the story of the very special/powerful dog that dramatically changed my life, a dozen years ago – who, in his own way, led me to my current life’s work and passion as an animal portraitist and painter of dogs. Like the blog, however, the page remained empty. The problem was not that I didn’t have the words.  It was that the emotion underneath them felt overwhelming to me.

When I renovated my website about a year ago, and added a blog page, I felt more at ease around telling Trucker’s story.  I imagined it would be simpler to share it in bits and pieces and just let it unfold. Suddenly telling my muse’s story felt doable … enjoyable, even.  Well, more than 12 months have gone by and Trucker’s tale remains untold.

In Telling Our Story Sometimes We Cry

Today, in the yoga studio, as I soak in this stream of light, I feel emboldened.  Maybe it is because today is Easter, which, for Christians, is a time of new beginnings. Maybe it is because the anniversary of the day Trucker came into our lives is just a week away.  Maybe it simply is the right time.

If you were to ask me to paint a portrait of your beloved pet, I would ask you to share their story…your story. The truth is, no one commissions a painting for their animal if they don’t feel a heart connection with their pet.  I understand that what an animal means to us, and how they affect our lives, often brings us to tears. This is true whether they are still with us here on earth … or have passed on.  Our animals simply have a way of opening our hearts, and in doing so, sometimes we cry.

My Commitment

I am just realizing now that so much of what I ask of my clients, I have been unwilling to do myself.  So today, I am committed to begin sharing the story of my journey with you.  I am committing to allowing my words to reach you even when my tears flow.  I am committed to being with the enormity of what one gentle giant,my precious American Bulldog known as Trucker, meant to me.  I hope, in reading my story, you will get to know me better and have a greater understanding of why I do what I do.  I also hope it will help you more deeply understand that beautiful relationship you have with your beloved four-legged friend.

I leave you with the knowing that Trucker’s story is coming.  I hope you will connect with me here on my blog. Maybe you’ll even feel inspired to share the story of your dog or pet … and maybe, one day, I’ll even get to paint for you.