Q and A with AnnaLisa from Spanaway, Washington

“I learn by and through mistakes and failures, and when I take care of myself, I have the strength I need to get through all of life’s challenges.”

Q: What are you passionate about?

A: I’m a neurodiverse creator and I love everything art! My hobbies include gardening, permaculture, urban gardening, learning everything about everything, sculpting, budgeting, home decor, painting, printmaking, and sewing. I just love making, creating, and growing. I love doing research!

Q: What were your younger years like?

A: I grew up in different places around Washington State. I’ve been an artist and entrepreneur for as long as I can remember. I spent most of my downtime drawing or creating as a child. I’m a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. My faith is a huge part of my life, my choices, my self-worth, and my community. I spent much of my time in my youth doing church service, activities, and learning about my divine worth. My mom is very creative. As a child, she made many beautifully crafted decor for our home. She spent a lot of her time learning new crafts. Painting, crocheting, sewing, woodworking, you name it she did it. I loved watching her create things she wanted. Money was tight, but she didn’t let it hold her back. I found this inspiring. I wanted to be just like her. She was my mentor and my example. She inspired me to create. I loved making things.

When I was in the third grade, I made some little potholders to sell. I wanted to be independent and getting a job was my ticket. As I got older, I started teaching myself to oil paint with my mom’s old kit. I would spend hours in the basement painting flowers, planets, and whatever I found interesting. One year I got it into my head that I needed a job and asked the local flower shop if I could apprentice. I was 14, she said no. I was devastated but I didn’t give up. I got myself a babysitting job and that satisfied me until I was old enough to really get a job. Art being my passion, I spent a lot of time learning about different styles. I fell in love with impressionism and decided I wanted to study art in France. I began studying French and learning the different possible ways I could travel. I tried getting into a foreign exchange program, but I found it was way more expensive than I would be able to earn. I shifted gears and focused on my art. I took every class I could in high school, received the most artistically talented award, and decided I would study art at university. Service is an important part of my life. In high school, I volunteered at the local food bank, served as a school senator, volunteered in a program that helped the students who didn’t focus on sports to gain recognition, and served in a mentorship program.

I met my love in high school and after he served a full-time service mission for our church, we got married. I received a bachelor of arts in art education, studied French, traveled to Europe, married my high school sweetheart, and started a family. My Europe experience was incredible. I lived with a French host family and taught at various locations throughout Brussels, Belgium. I had so many adventures and during the two weeks I had vacation from my teaching job, I backpacked to Western Europe. I made my way through Bruges, Paris, Versailles, London, Rome, Venice, and Geneva. I visited every museum I could find and took some incredible reference photos. Young family life was quite challenging. My spouse and I started with $2,000 in our pockets and worked hard to get scholarships and finish school while having children. After we both graduated, we moved back to Washington to live with my parents while we looked for work. My husband got a job in Washington, and we have been here ever since. My master plan was to start teaching art when I had all my kids in school, but since life doesn’t always do what is expected, I found myself needing to homeschool my four kids. I didn’t know if I would have four neurodiverse children, or how much of my time and attention they would need. I decided I could give them the support that I couldn’t afford to get them. I couldn’t get the support through the schools that they needed, and I dove in with both feet to learn everything I could about how to support them. I helped my son with speech therapy and learned all about ABA therapy to support my daughter until I was able to get an actual therapist. I’m so grateful I had the comprehension and ability to learn so much and offer support that I wouldn’t otherwise have had access to. Now the kids are older, I have two in school and two at home. This gave me a little extra time to start my art business. So, three weeks ago, I launched my art website and got into my first exhibition. I have been making art and networking on social media with all my downtime.

Q: What is something valuable you’d like others to know?

A: Through it all, I have learned how not to sweat the small stuff. Life is full of things beyond my control. Being prepared is better than worrying; I learn by and through mistakes and failures, and when I take care of myself, I have the strength I need to get through all of life’s challenges. I cannot have more time, and the only thing I truly have is the present.

Q: What does feminism mean to you?
A: Feminism, to me, is believing women can be whatever and whomever they need to be. We are only limited by our goals and imagination. Feminism is embracing our ability to nurture, love, and take care of our needs.

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