Here is a photo of my very first metal sculpture, Luna. I designed and created her back in 2001 when I took a welded sculpture class at Clark College just a few blocks away from our house. Luna is a statement of personal power; something I was just starting to regain on my journey to creative recovery.

Creative recovery? Huh?

Luna
Copyright 2001-2009 Jennifer Corio

I was taking a leave of absence from my high tech job at the time, and what I thought I needed most during the break was rest & relaxation. In retrospect what I really needed was a release of pent up creativity. I had spent the last 15+ years exercising my left brain; that analytical, logical part of myself; neglecting my more creative side. I took several art classes during my leave — glass, ceramics, jewelry making, when I finally landed in the welding lab at Clark College under the tutelage of Beth Heron and Patrick Gonzales. I fell in love! It was thrilling to wield a torch and work with heavy equipment I never imagined I had the guts to use. I loved the power of taking a rigid material like steel and transforming it into graceful forms.

When it was time to return to work I had a bit of a crisis of consciousness. Do I enter the rat race again or do I take the risk and try something new? Dave and I were newlyweds then and he fully supported, even encouraged me to pursue the artistic path. One thought particularly swayed me to take the leap: I didn’t know when it would be, 10 years, 5 years, one year from now, but I feared I’d look back at the opportunity I had but didn’t take and feel regret. And regret is one emotion I try to avoid like the plague!

So I took the leap and haven’t looked back (except perhaps to fondly remember a steady paycheck)!  Eight years later I feel like my creative recovery has transformed into a creative journey; a meandering path of adventure, mystery, trial & error, give & take, mind expansion, passion, vision…and so much more.

Stay tuned for stories of irony & good timing in Part II of the tale.