About fourteen years ago I made the decision that if someone asked me what I did, I was going to say I was an artist. I loved art and continually studied but hadn’t really created the work I thought I could. I am a big believer in the saying “act as if and the rest will follow” and it did. Now I’ve embarked on another endeavor but hadn’t given it a name until my guide in India introduced me to the owners of three textile manufacturers as a designer from America. I thought that was quite grandios and felt a bit insecure but then realized that this was what I was pursuing and they believed it to be true. “Act as if” I told myself and proceeded accordingly. The bigger problem for me in India is that I have absolutely no idea who is telling me the truth and who is doing the usual bull. Many conversations regarding the Hindu religion and honesty and “oh so important to help others” and then “don’t tell the owners that I am helping you”…oh dear. The culture is fascinating with multitudes of layers that I cannot possibly understand in such a short period of time. One step at a time.