How to NOT have a boring summer

          This summer has been one of my favorites. While many previous summers have had their fair share of boredom, this time I've rarely had a day with nothing to do. I will admit there is something to be said about lazy days. Every now and then, it is really nice to just relax all day, but too many of those in a row can be real downers. A good way to lift your spirits and have some fun is to leave the house and go on an adventure! I'll give three of my favorite days this summer as an example.

          The first day included an art museum, some grilled cheese, and a great friend. She and I are both artists, so we knew the art museum was a must. We visited the Orlando Museum of Art for an hour or two, then ate lunch at Toasted, a little restaurant that focuses on everything "cheese." I was feeling adventurous (there's that word again) that day and ordered a grilled fig and goat cheese sandwich. Let me tell you, "amazing" doesn't even begin to describe it.

          While we ate lunch, we tried a little art challenge (you can find my blog from this day on my YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/thatoneartist). After a while, it started raining, so we decided to leave. We didn't get very far, however, and made an unexpected stop at a small tea house called Krungthep. Though we only thought we'd go in only to take a peek, we were seated and ordered some tea. The day ended at her house, watching cartoons on the television. All in all, it was a great day with great memories.

          The second day was spent with a different friend a couple weeks later. We drove to downtown Mt. Dora, a cute place with many little shops, restaurants, art museums, and a lake. We walked around much of the town, talking and taking photos, ending up in an abandoned and overgrown courtyard.

We talked, braided hair, and took more photos there, then ate supper at One Flight Up Cafe. Our dinner was interrupted by a thunder clap and a race for the car, but our day ended happily with a trip to an Italian ice place for dessert.

          Finally, the third day was spent with the same friend as the previous day. It began with some thrift shopping. Don't knock it 'til you've tried it - thrift shops are treasure troves. Amidst the many too tight, too large, and too "scandalous" clothes we tried on, we both ended up with some "new" clothes. Then, yes, it started raining. After a stop at Krungthep where we devoured their delicious dessert, "Battle" - ice cream, waffle cone, whipped topping various chocolate candies, and chocolate syrup - and two iced teas, it was off to the beach! 

          The car rides there and back were filled with us jamming out to old songs and just being weird. At the beach, we took photos, ate lunch, jumped in the slightly-too-cold water, and took a walk. I even painted on myself, amidst the curious onlookers, for some nice YouTube intro footage (the intro is coming later, but check out the footage on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_thatoneartist_). Our last act was to stuff ourselves with sushi at Hatsuhana. 

          These three adventure-filled days will certainly not be forgotten. I urge anyone reading this to take a day off from your normal life. Go out and have some fun. Hang out with a friend and get to know them better, be impulsive, experience new things. It will add a little more flavor to your life and leave you with great memories.

- Darcie

Meet the Artist!

          Hi everyone! So I am giving this "blogging thing" a go. Actually, it's technically my second try, but the first one didn't go too far so we can just forget about that...

My name is Darcie. I thought that would be a good starting place. Art is my favorite thing in the world – my passion, my past time, my outlet.

And it always has been.

          I've practically been drawing since day one, and mostly people. There's just something that really drew me (no pun intended) to drawing people with their complexities and uniqueness. Each one is so different. I can pull out countless pictures of people from my old sketchbooks – usually done in a typical graphite pencil – and even now they are my favorite subject to draw. However, I have branched out to many other subjects and mediums and continue to take new adventures in my art.

          While I've always had a love for art, I became more serious about it during my Freshman year of high school. I began believing that a career as an artist is possible, especially with the help of social media. I started an Instagram account that year with no other desire than to be able to have my art displayed nicely all in one place, and now, three years later, I have a following of 35,000 and a YouTube account with 8,000 subscribers. Having this kind of visibility and growth online has really encouraged me to believe an art career is possible and ignore the "starving artist" connotation.

          So, I am graduating from high school in 9 days. Wow. That's exciting and scary at the same time... My plan right now for college is to major in fine art, obtain a teaching license (so that I have the option to teach art if I need to or want to), and also get either a minor or major in business. I have heard many times that an art degree isn't really necessary if you're going to be working for yourself, however, I really think I can benefit from what I learn. I just really want to be in an environment where I can learn from so many other creative people – teachers and fellow students alike.

           Besides all of these things I just mentioned, what is art to ME? Obviously I enjoy it, but art is so much more than that. I love possessing the ability to make visible the ideas and pictures I get in my head. Art is such an important channel for getting ideas across, and I love using it to make a point. Art is powerful, and I get to be a part of it.  I find that very empowering yet humbling.

            Aside from fine art, I love music – singing, playing the piano and clarinet, and just listening to it day after day. Music is another way to make people feel things, and I love that aspect of it. I also enjoy playing volleyball and was on my school's varsity team as an outside hitter. I enjoy reading, going to the beach, making new friends, and eating! Finally, the most important thing you should know about me is I am a Christian. No, this does not mean I'll be preaching at you 24/7, judging you, or telling you to get saved. I hate these negative Christian stereotypes, but I do acknowledge that many Christians have brought them upon ourselves. All I hope to do is to be able to show Jesus' love to everyone because this world is so broken. I'm human, and I make terrible mistakes, but I try. With God, all things are truly possible, and I hope to grow in His grace to mirror His character more each day.

            Well, I think that's it! Hope you got to know a bit more about me, and feel free to tell me a bit about yourself in the comments! You can expect stories, art tips, art struggles, and more glimpses into my life in future posts. If you made it all the way down to here, comment your favorite color. Thanks for reading!

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