I hope this letter finds you happy and healthy.

I am interested in marking the time and moment that pass when we handwrite messages...

we become at once more formal and more intimate in our choice of words.

This is mostly about sharing with others.

You gave me the encouragement to keep going.

...you had such high expectations...

You knew what I was capable of.

I learned technique and also how to dig deeper within myself to find my voice and my mark.

....you LISTENED to me.

I could share all the beautiful and horrible parts of my life with you,

and you encouraged me to paint about it.

My expectations of myself were always high,

but yours were higher.

...

I haven't shared that with anyone, but I trust you to keep it between us.

...it's been both wonderful and scary,

It's good to be scared, right?

It means I care.

That's what I tell myself!

...I can take the time to explore all my ideas, to fail and start over again.

...the freedom of mistakes.

Time becomes precious, and so does every single creative endeavor.

...what some of us need is to approach the work with a bit of irreverence.

I learn most from my mistakes.

I need time for them,

time to process what I'm doing.