Doing the things I'm scared of: or, Why I applied for The Art of Shaving

Long story short, a lot of anxieties came to a head when I moved to LA three-plus years ago, and I had some growing up to do. I have since done a lot of things I never thought I would, and I've developed a taste for overcoming scary things. Mostly.

So a few weeks ago, I saw a post from an illustrator I follow on Facebook about a potential job. It was just a one-day thing involving drawing on a store-front window. It paid well. I thought it sounded fun. And, between the drawing-in-public-with-people-literally-watching-over-my-shoulder aspect of it and the honest assessment that there are many talented artists in LA who can draw circles around me...it was also terrifying.

Which meant that I had to apply, of course. I spent an evening sketching, and then I submitted.

I got the job.

This isn't that big of a deal from the outside, but it was a big deal to me. Nobody can produce hours upon hours of consecutive top-notch drawings...or at least that's what I told myself...so I had some sketches that were better and some that were not. Turns out that non-artists are easily impressed, though, so I had that going for me. And because of that, just this one simple job has already opened up a couple of exciting doors for me (including the probable opportunity to do this job again).

I am this human.

After drawing shaving products on a window for 4.5 hours straight, I was starving. And after doing something scary for 4.5 hours straight, I was exhausted. I decided to get some food. (Sidenote: When you're single and childless, eating out alone might sound depressing. But when you're the mother of young children, it is a joyous occasion. You don't have to cook OR be simultaneously in charge of the nourishment, table-manners, and choking-evasion of multiple humans.)

This is my cousin's adorable daughter.

So on the drive home I chose a place I'd never been to, got some food...some truly terrible Japanese food...and sat in my car in the parking lot in the darkness, blaring Arcade Fire and eating terrible Japanese food and feeling more alive.