Hello there, I’m Jeanetta:  an artist, writer, and sometimes homesteader (yes, totally made that last title up myself). Arkansas Women Bloggers (and the other state communities it has birthed) have been an amazing support to me over the past few years and I am thrilled to share some things with you here.

So if I’m being completely honest, when I was asked to wear the crown of Blogger of the Month my first reaction was, “What took so long?!” I can be a little full of myself. Then my second reaction was, “CRAP! Now I’ve got a lot of work to do!”  I am also a procrastinator. Here’s a quick overview. I drink coffee. A lot. All day. I can be bribed with boxed chocolates. I’m a Whovian-Star Wars-Harry Potter fanatic.   love my garden, good food, good beer, and a good fireside.

I am a maker (I honestly have no idea how to turn that off). I believe all humans really are no matter how loudly they protest. We were made in the image of the Great Creator after all how can we not be driven to create.  I have been doodling and painting and creating little things out of anything I could get my hands on since I can remember.  My subjects range from whatever catches my fancy — vegetables in my garden to mythological beasts. My style may change with my mediums or just what I am feeling at the time. I dislike the concept that artists must box themselves into one particular “style” or way of creating art. Being creative is an outpouring of ourselves. Why would we want to contain that!

I write about the day to day victories and failures (many of them) with my art, family, farming, gardening and life in general. So nailing what I blog about down to a couple of words as a description can be difficult sometimes. Writing is not my first avenue of expression. But there are times that the words and stories just bottle neck in my brain and scream to be let out. Thank goodness for blogging because talking about the voices in my head might have committed me in those early years of motherhood.

I say I’m a “sometimes homesteader.” Sometimes I get things right more often than I get things wrong but I keep trying. I am passionate about the self- sustainability movement and am fully embraced in the struggle to implement the practices in my day- to- day life. Growing, raising and preserving the food my family needs means a lot to me. I believe reviving the knowledge of craftsmanship and sustainable skills can bring everyone to a better understanding of what is important such as becoming better stewards, innovative problem solvers, and resourceful citizens of the world.

Ten years ago this coming summer I started blogging.  It was such a different world on the wide web back then.  My blog was for getting thoughts out of my head and selling the things I made at the time while I stayed home with the kids.  Actually, not a lot has changed.  Other than the kids are almost on autopilot and comment regularly that such and such friend found pictures of them doing some craft project online from some old blog post of mine.  If I had to boil down what I like to blog about to one word, it would be “try.”  Just try the things that interest. Try to draw or cook or grow your own food or raise chickens.  Okay, that last one might be a bit more involved but if it’s something you wish and dream about more than a few times a day, then do it.

All of my snarky comments aside, I really am honored to be representing Arkansas Women Bloggers this month.  I promise to “try” to be on my best behavior during my reign (I’m working on my wave just in case there’s a parade.)

Connect with me online:
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Pinterest 
Website