I was also really moved by your frankness in this posting about your hopes, dreams, fears…and successes. It’s a pretty strange feeling to look around yourself and suddenly realize that people think of you as an “expert” of sorts in your field. Especially when what you “do” is something that just naturally flows out of who you are. I know when this happens to me my initial reaction can be: “Me, an expert?. But I’m just doing what I do.” Which is precisely your point, of course. Being thought of as an “expert” and even being PAID for who we are is surely one of the sweetest of feelings. Thank you for making me think about how important (and rare) that really is. I’ve got to say that it made me pretty grateful (and “Thankful” appropriately to the time of year) to be paid for who I am. It made me realize that by making my living “making” things that are like little parts of me that go out into the world and have lives of their own feels so much more real, honest, and POWERFUL than anything else I’ve ever done (except maybe being a mom). And of course I’d like to think that “who I am” is doing some good in some way. I guess the being paid for it part is just what allows me to keep on doing it. Anyway, thanks for sharing this experience with us. It really made me appreciate where I am.