“New Beginnings”
by Heather B. Warriner

Everything Changes
I’ve never been very good at handling change. To me, change is scary. Change is unknown. Change is risky. And, because of this, I’ve always preferred to simply ignore change as much as possible, choosing instead to stay where things are familiar. But, life doesn’t usually err on the side of the familiar. More often than not, life chooses the path of change and forces us to follow along, whether we like it or not. I’m beginning to accept this. A quote from Gail Sheehy encompasses a lot of my recent emotions toward change: “If we don't change, we don't grow. If we don't grow, we are not really living.” As an artist and as a woman, I know deep down the importance of change and its inseparable connection with growth. It’s with that knowledge that I am jumping into a huge life change.

Life Lessons
It’s hard to believe that I started working at Rossi Studios almost 6 years ago. Beginning as an apprentice, my main job at that time was to illustrate. I spent my days painting and sketching with several other artists in the back room of Karen’s huge Windsor Locks, CT studio space. As the business changed and employees moved onto new ventures, I took on additional responsibilities: computer design work, communicating with companies via phone and email, administrative tasks, product development, web work, and more. Each new task was a new opportunity to learn. And, looking back now, I can also see those steps as mini changes that helped me to grow as an artist and as an employee. I suppose in a way those small changes were preparing me for bigger changes, both within and beyond Rossi Studios. Over the years, we had several studio moves, all big changes for Karen and the company as a whole. We also had changes in focus, evolving from a licensing-bases studio back to a more fine arts-based workplace. Through it all, I was learning, changing, and growing.

On the Move
Ten months ago, when I got married, I realized that change was walking into my life in many ways. Marriage, in and of itself, is change enough. But, my husband, Dan, and I also made the decision that we would pursue a move to the North Shore of Massachusetts. For years, Dan had been feeling led to return to school to get his Master of Divinity degree. He had taken several classes via the distance education program at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. However, we both felt that interacting with professors and fellow classmates in a more participatory way would be a positive move. Although we knew this would mean leaving family, friends, and jobs, we were certain that this was the direction for us to take.

So, at the end of July, we made the big move, packing up all our belongings and moving northward to the quaint but beautiful campus setting. We feel very blessed to be on this new journey, experiencing a new area, meeting new people, and learning new life lessons. I am still working with Rossi Studios on a freelance basis, helping out with illustration and graphic design projects that can be done from a distance. And, we have plans for family and friends to visit our new place throughout the coming months. However, most importantly, we are learning how to embrace change. To change is to grow. And, when you think about it that way, change doesn’t have to be all that scary after all.