So, this is my first blog. Are you ready? I know you are wondering… what is the Widespread Love Lifestyle and what in the world will she be blogging about?!? Well, I am a woman in my 30’s whose major interests are family, home, the outdoors, music, wellness, spirituality + metaphysics, and last but never least, design.
I’m a designer, and I like to design things. I am also particular about the way others design things. Design matters in a product. So whether it’s home decor, outdoor gear, festival fashion, a fitness program, nutrition plan or the best design for your meditation space, you might find it here. I also am the owner + designer for my Etsy Shop, Widespread Love Design.
The Widespread Love Lifestyle is all about being active, positive, and authentic. You’ll get my honest reviews and humble opinions with some humor on the side.
But for today, a little more about me, an introduction to who I am and where I came from. My passions for nature, design, and music are rooted in my youth. I grew up in a small town in Illinois, where I spent much of my time daydreaming, exploring, and creating. Gigantic trees could be seen out my window and two sat like pillars on the back edge of the yard. Down the hill, past a sandstone bluff, a river flowed with constant energy. My love for hiking
and the outdoors were forged at a nearby state park where trails crept back into large sandstone canyons. I have always felt a connection to nature and elements of nature are often woven through my work.
I knew by age 7 that I would be an artist, and my path unfurled from there.
I was often making signs or practicing lettering and different fonts, though I
would not realize until years and years later that graphic design would be my
favored medium. Truthfully, I didn't know what graphic design was until I saw
the shiny iMacs on a college campus and started wondering. Instead, growing up I did my l
lettering by hand and practiced in two-dimensional media, until, more than halfway
through my art education courses, I took a sculpture class. It kind of blew up my world in
a lot of ways. I dropped out of the art ed program, switched to sculpture, and proceeded to
crank out sculptures featuring wood, metal, fabric, and natural elements. After winning a prestigious award and obtaining a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Sculpture, I went back and finished the Bachelor of Science in Art Education.
I can't really talk about my young life without mentioning music and its influences. I sang in church at age four and was in the local children's choir, and I still love to belt out songs in the car or shower. I also am an avid listener, and have always seen my life as having a soundtrack. I almost always have music playing. But it wasn't until sometime in high school that I discovered Led Zeppelin and then the Grateful Dead, and then Widespread Panic. And tons of bands in between, of course. But the way I connected to music began to change when I started listening to those Widespread Panic tapes. In June of 2000, at age 18, I packed my parents' van with friends and camping equipment and drove out West to Colorado to see Widespread Panic at Red Rocks. Some might think it's crazy to say a band or a show changed your life, but that's truly what happened at Red Rocks for me. The collective energy and joy of a live show surrounded by like-minded fans drew me in. A cascade of shows and driving around the U.S. to see Panic followed, including a yearly pilgrimage to Red Rocks in June. Knowing I wanted to move to Colorado, in 2008 I applied for a teaching gig and landed it, which brought me to Colorado to stay.
From 2008 to the present I have taught elementary art at a local charter school. I got married and dug into Colorado's vast music scene. I earned a graphic design certificate from the Art Institute, a Master's Degree from Rocky Mountain College of Art + Design, and presented my research and classroom management platform at a national art conference after being published in the journal Art Education. Then, in 2016-2017 I had several major surgeries because I was diagnosed with the BRCA gene. Afterward, I was recovering and unable to be physically active, for many months at a time, so I turned to my computer as a creative outlet and started developing Widespread Love Design.
Much of my artwork is music-inspired. Widespread Love Design was born out of my wish to wear clothing inspired by my favorite music to work without wearing a concert tee shirt. My hand-made goods are the fruition of combining my love of nature + design with the soundtrack of my life. The result is my iconic, authentic design aesthetic. My intention is to appeal to everyone, regardless of whether they connect to the musical influence. I want my designs to stand on their own and be enjoyed by everyone. For those who do understand the musical and often spiritual connection that is embodied in my work, I hope my designs resonate with them and bring them as much joy as they do to me.
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