Whimsical Curiosities

My Discovery of Self-Fulfillment and Happiness

By Lauretta Lowell

Lauretta Lowell's Whimsical Curiosities "The cure for boredom is curiosity. But there is no cure for curiosity." I've certainly lived this quote. I can say that I have never been bored because my curiosity has ridden over most all my other needs and emotions. I drove my parents crazy with the "What's that? Where are we going? How was this made? Why do we do it this way?" questions; having to be quieted with the typical parental answer of, "Because." I have spent my whole life living outside of the box looking at things different from others, trying to figure out why things have been done one way and why couldn't they be done another way.

For instance, when I saw a rusty toaster in a garbage can I thought,"what a great body for a doll!" Another example was a carpenter friend of mine had collected a large bin of specialty wooden pencils from lumber yards. I asked him if I could have them and turned them into a unique rustic frame for a wall mirror. Luckily I share my mother's artistic gift and had my fingers in different mediums of art all my life, i.e. batiking, candle making, acrylic painting, murals, graphic design, folk art design, collage, furniture making and fauxing, and sewing. However, being a single mother of two boys, I had to work in the corporate world to bring in a stable paycheck. This kept me from taking my creative passion seriously.

In 2002 I had some personal tragedies that caused me to have a stroke. I had to relearn to read, write, talk and walk. This forced me to slow down and reevaluate my priorities. My boys were always my top priority but they no longer lived at home. I was recently divorced from an abusive husband so it was important to finally focus on me. I asked myself, "What would make me happy? What was my passion?"

Being unable to work again in the fast-paced lifestyle of corporate business the answer was immediate. Art. Design. Humor. My father gave me his twisted 'humor' gene and it is a big part of who I am. Laughter and whimsy has always helped me shine inside. So the answer became humorous art, Whimsical Curiosities. My Whimsical Curiosities creations are now my passion. I love being in my studio, serendipitously putting together found items in unexpected ways. I find myself working alone (with my faithful dog Tank), laughing out loud often. My dolls are made from antique porcelain heads and arms, vintage kitchen appliances, vintage machine parts, junk drawer items and costume jewelry. My mosaics are made from vintage toys, broken ceramics, and vintage hardware.

I am very happy now and am proud of my curiosity and humor. Curiosity is the very basis of discovery and education, and if you tell me that curiosity killed the cat, I say the cat died nobly! •

Lauretta Lowell was educated in Oahu, Hawaii and then moved to Santa Barbara, CA. After 28 years there she moved to Palm Desert, CA in 2004. She has spent 20 years decorating home interiors, 5 years in graphic design, and 35 years as an independent artist. Visit her website at: www.whimsicalcuriosities.com.

6/9/09