A Necessary Change • by Mary Beth Shaw

When my pager went off during a bikini wax I knew it was time. The year was 2000. I was living in San Francisco, a city I rarely saw as I was traveling so much in my job as Account Manager for a large insurance company; it was my responsibility to manage self-insured manufacturers. I had a secretary. An office with a fabulous view (and a door). I had achieved a lot. My clients were all high-end accounts, companies you would instantly recognize. I carried a pager and they could reach pretty much any time night or day. Which they did, hence the bikini wax situation.

I also had a secret life in that I was seeing a therapist and a psychiatrist. Despite the success I displayed outwardly, I knew I was slowly losing touch inside. I felt like a hamster on a wheel. Something needed to change. Something, anything. My 40th birthday was looming when I finally decided. I would quit my job.

Needless to say, my husband was stunned, but agreed. I feel certain he must have been thinking it was just a phase from which I would soon emerge and his “real” wife would be back. But, God love him, he was there for me every step of the way.

We rehearsed, my therapist and I, exactly what I would say to people when they asked that every popular question, “What do you do?” ‘Cause see, I had spent my entire life working on a corporate identity. I didn't really know who I was outside my job. I tried on some ideas: “I'm exploring my creative side”; “I'm a kept woman”; “I've lost my way”

A Journey of Art
Sometimes you just get lucky — this is where the art comes in. I had a personal trainer (OK, OK, I was *really* high maintenance) and she had heard about an art class she thought I might like. I had been amusing myself by making greeting cards for years, but that was about all I had ever done art-wise. I went to the first class, thinking it would be a weekly craft night ,and that was when I learned the group was studying Julia Cameron's The Artist Way.

Wowza. To say I was in over my head was an understatement. But since I was on a journey, I decided why not just go with it. I hung in there and did every single exercise in the book. There were days when I sobbed. I signed up for the next session, which was to study Vein of Gold.

I did morning pages every single day. I took myself on artist dates each week. I learned things about myself I never could have imagined. I had lots of dreams that I had never dared to utter and now they all started coming forth. I sketched, I took photos, I stared at the sky. I wrote poetry and danced and sang.

I heard about a collage class taught by Ann Baldwin and I signed up. Turns out I loved collage. I signed up for a semester-length class at UC Berkeley Extension. Then another. I kept studying with Ann and learned to paint. One thing led to another and I met some people who knew some people and suddenly I was in a studio space in Sausalito. It was a shared situation, in a huge warehouse filled with artists. My part was a 10’ x 10’ space literally in the middle of a big room but I loved it.

A Weird Time to be Alive
9/11/2001. I was at home and awakened by the phone. My father told me what happened. My husband was in Chicago so I knew he was OK but his company had offices in the World Trade Center and he had friends there. I was supposed to be heading up to Ashland, Oregon, to study with Jonathan Talbot. My friend and I decided to go anyway. We were very introspective on the drive and it was a weird time to be alive. Jonathan's son was in New York doing rescue work. It was an intense class to say the least.

When I got home, I went to my studio and made 30 collages in 30 days. I just had to make art; it was all I could do. My husband framed them for me, in preparation for our Open Studio event. It was the first time I had ever sold my work and I was blown away by the response. I think I put a little bit of my soul in every one of those pieces.

I kept at it. We moved back to the Midwest and I decided to do art fairs. Then I dipped my toe into the teaching arena. I really like to share what I know. It gets me all excited and I feel happy when I can introduce others to fun techniques. I have just finished my first book that will be published early next year. Life is so very very good. I am incredibly blessed and speak the truth when I say the one thing I know for sure is that ART SAVES.

To learn more about Mary Beth Shaw, visit her Web site at mbshaw.com or her blog at mbshaw.blogspot.com.

Comments

[Laura]

Thanks for sharing your story! Having just left the corporate world...and it took me a lot longer...I am just beginning my artistic journey on a full time basis. Your zest, energy and enthusiasm are contagious!

[diane cook]

Loved hearing your story Mary Beth! As I approach my pending retirement date (at the end of this year), I find myself giddy with excitement. I have waited my whole life to be become a full-time artist. It will be a dream come true.....
diane
www.rosajosies.com

[Pam Carriker]

A wonderful story, very encouraging! Love your work:-)

[Jen Crossley]

I Loved hearing your story,your work is very beautiful

[Kelley]

So excited to read your story here on Crescendoh Mary Beth; enjoyed that monoprinting video too - reminding me of "not yo mama's paste paper" :)

[Bev]

Wow, Mary Beth...I only knew parts of how you changed careers and never really knew the full time line. Thanks for sharing. I am so happy you found the strength to save your inner self and in turn have found such happiness. I appreicate your willingness to share your knowledge and love of art with all around you too!

[Crystal Neubauer]

Mary Beth you are, without a doubt, tops on my list of artists whose style I love and resonate with. And now to read the details of your story, I am wowed to say the least! This year I was turned on to monoprinting in a class I took at the jr. college and reading the comment above that you have a video?? I didn't know you did monoprinting so I am running off immediately from here to watch it!
Kudos to you and all your success!
Crystal

[Mary Beth]

Thank you so much, everyone, you such sweet comments. It really means a lot to me. And Crystal, it wasn't my monoprinting video - it is one of the links that I provided and this one was off the Golden website.