Being an artist changes you.  I don’t mean that in a snooty way or in a way that limits what art is.  Art can be painting and drawing, but it’s also music, photography, design, decorating, writing, engineering, sewing, stitching, gardening, growing, architecture, building…  That one small three-letter word encompasses so many endeavors.  And, when you start down a specific creative path, no matter how broad or meandering, you are changed by what you learn.  You start to see the world differently and things that once went without notice become curiosities, worthy of attention. When I look at photographs of artists’ homes, studios, and gardens, I get it more now.  I get the draw to nature.  I get the collections of textures, colors, shapes, and curiosities.  I’ve always been drawn to collecting natural items and making things with them.  I have vivid memories of picking daisies and making halos and crowns.