Coming into militaryspousedom in my 30s, I find a kindred spirit in Megan Mioduski's story. It's difficult to discover that PCSing and military life often doesn't support a spouse's career, and entering into a community in which you feel like the odd-one-out just compounds an already disruptive situation. As an actress, Megan had to discover creative ways to make sure she could practice her craft and help others achieve their acting goals as well. And as someone who doesn't quite fit in with the generalized definition of a military spouse, Megan learned that embracing her identity and quirks makes her all the more creative and stronger.

In 2017 we PCSed to Tampa, FL. I was fortunate enough to make connections with a few people before we moved. The University of Tampa hired me to teach, and is where I am still teaching in the Dance Program.

Ashley Patricelli is a painter whose work reflects an openness to experimentation and letting the subconscious emerge. Her work evokes emotion with rich texture and imagery interplaying with layers of color and dimension. Ashley describes a relationship with her art-making that is authentic, curious, and playful. After reading her words and seeing her work, I'm feeling so inspired that I just might dig out my acrylics (from the PCS box I just packed) and have some playtime of my own!

I have a friend here in the UAE who had been to the Jaipur Lit Fest in the past and kept asking me to go with her. This being my last year in Abu Dhabi and therefore the last time I would be just a quick jaunt from India, I finally said yes. And it was tremendous.

Army spouse Christy Tremblay’s mixed-media art is the perfect metaphor for a multi-textured, multi-layered military life. As mil-spouses, we often don’t know where life is taking us next as we evolve with each new place and experience, and all of those unexpected places and experiences become layers that shape us into the people we never knew we could be. There is beauty in all that layering and evolution, in the unforeseen and in adaptation. Christy Tremblay’s unexpected journeys leads us to magical gardens and dream-like landscapes; they are places that celebrate.

I did manage to have a solo show of my watercolor paintings early in 2018, but the momentum didn’t last for me, unfortunately. I bet many of you reading this can relate to the feeling of “holding down the fort,” and I found myself in that position a lot in the past year. Even in August, when we finally enrolled my youngest in preschool, I found that I was constantly using the extra time this gave me for any number of tasks other than painting in my workspace at home.

This December as the winter weather descends, what better way to spend an evening than wrapped up in a blanket and a tale of romance? Elizabeth Ann West is an author and former military spouse who writes charming Jane Austin fan fiction and variations. Elizabeth talks with us about how her work and life as a military child and military spouse helped prepare her for life after Dependent status. She candidly shares how her work gave her a sense of stability, strength, and identity during her recent divorce.

Half of me feels like the time has flown by, but the other half spent a few months of the summer feeling like I was trapped and would never leave here. Fortunately, that fog has lifted quite a bit and I’m just trying to get back into some kind of normal-ish routine.

In this month's Artist Interview, we take a spin in the ballet slippers of dancer, choreographer, and dance teacher Kathryn Lanier. Kathryn shares her passion for dance,  the role of dance in her world as a military spouse, and the story of one very special Nutcracker Ballet performance that reminds us why this ballet is so cherished.

Leigh Cortez is an art student-turned-artillery-soldier-turned-milspouse-and-tattoo-artist-turned-MFA-student-turned-artist. Her bold and compelling work is layered with autobiographical meaning. With her paintings, Leigh invites a dialogue both within the military community and with "outsiders" exploring modern military life, tradition, trauma, unpredictability, and belonging. Leigh's thoughtful descriptions of her work and process, as well as her candid story about the path she has taken, reveal her self-possessed, passionate, and deliberate character.

I continue to paint every day and constantly stretch the boundaries of my abilities. I belong to a group of four mentor/friends that travel together and show our art at different venues.  We have been to Waterworks Art Museum in Miles City, Montana,  are currently showing at the courthouse Art Museum in Clarksville, Tennessee and are looking forward to a venue in Japan!  Travel is always a plus to getting these shows.

In April, I published my second collection of poetry: Permanent Change of Station (Middle West Press). The poems revolve around the move that brought us from California to North Carolina. My daughter was two, and all of the changes of environment, coupled with all of the changes associated with coming into her toddlerhood, was quite traumatic for her.

The past year since my interview has been full of changes and excitement. We moved to North Carolina and it took me a while to find a studio to begin dancing again. I was fortunate to find the Carolina Performing Arts Studio that just opened near my house. I met the studio owner and ballet teacher, and immediately found my new home there.

This month, MilspoFAN is proud to introduce you to Adelia Wilson. Adelia is a painter and a third-generation Air Force spouse. As Adelia tells her story, I find myself drawn in by her palpable enthusiasm for life. Her dreamy artwork, rooted in her spirituality and a desire to honor the military that she cherishes, is equally compelling. As Adelia says, she has found both an outlet and a calling in her painting. I'm so pleased to share her story with our MilspoFAN community

Over the past year since my last guest blog, I've had so many wonderful things come about. I'm excited to share these as I look back on our military life journey of over twenty-six years. We've been “retired” from the Navy for eleven years now. Our current home we've been in for ten years – the longest we've been anywhere in our entire adult lives. I finally have that picket fence I always wanted...it ends up in so many paintings of mine, a continual theme of home and stability.