Jul 14, 2022
UPDATED March 22, 2023
Who is Lorraine J.?
Turning my “About” profile into a story | Sharing More of Who I Am
Myself is who I am all day every day. It is my hope that you are Yourself ALL Day Everyday too.
Hello, I see you have landed on this story from my “About” page, thank you for taking a rest hear. Since you are here let me tell you a little about me.
Personal: Who is Lorraine?
There are many parts of me. I am more than just one thing. I do not define myself as “just a” anything, no, I am a very versatile person who can adapt to many different atmospheres and move fluidly through the present moment. Some of the many things that I am are: *Creative Writer*, *Author*, and *Artist*.
In my heart I have been a writer for many years, I wrote in my personal diaries and journals as a young girl and most of my adult life. However, my life journey has taken me on so many other flights (career paths) that I am just now touching down on the writer’s landing pad. Now that I have self- published one of the books that I was working on I can happily say that I am also an Author, a milestone that I am proud of myself for doing.
Being an Artist is a new title that I can add to the many things that I am. Painting was something that I watch my very talented older sister do growing up but something that I never thought I would become. However, I have been painting and drawing (through a drawing app on my phone) for over four years now and love it. I look at my abstract paintings and can’t believe that I was the one to paint it.
So here I am moving into three different stages of life embarking on the act of writing on a regular basis here on Medium and other platforms while slowly building my creative arts business to promote the books that I write and the art that I create.
I am somewhat of a private person so you will not see detailed information about my personal life when it comes to family names, where I live, any other pertinent information. However, I do share a little about my family dynamic in my Countdown to my 50th birthday article “25/50 |Birthdays | Anniversaries| Graduation |Family” which I included a link to below.
Life Experience | Hobbies | What I am Passionate About
I have over 25 years of experience working with children, teens, and young adults. This has afforded me the opportunity to work with children and youth in several different capacities and write from some of those experiences.
I have held positions as a Preschool Teacher, Afterschool Counselor, Private Sitter, Independent Care Giver, and a Registered Behavior Therapist for children with Autism. I hold two associate degrees, one in Early Childhood Administration and Management, and one in Organizational Management both from Rio Salado Community College.
Aside from my love of working with children and watching them grow I have a passion for dance that reaches as far back as 5 years old when I started my first dance class and continues today. Over the years I have trained and performed in several genres and in 2010 founded “The Joy of Dance” where I mentored children, youth and adults as a Dance Instructor, Choreographer, Dance Ministry Leader, and Soloist.
I spent twelve years as a Stay-At Home Mother and while doing so remained productive by volunteering my time in several capacities. I served on the board of the Phoenix East Valley Chapter of Mocha Mom Incorporated over the course of several years as the Playgroup Coordinator, Secretary, Treasurer and Vice President.
In addition to that I volunteered for the Phoenix Chapter of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (Known today as JDRF). There I was a member of the Advisory Board, ran my own family “Walk to Cure Diabetes” team, Mentored families with newly diagnosed children, served as a Moderator on their social website “Type 1 Nation” and as a Coordinator for their local family centered conferences.
When I am not working on projects/products for LYLT Expressions I am painting, or doing digital hand drawings, indulging in Adult Coloring or reading. Some of my artwork is for sale through my storefront on Society6.com: LYLT Expressions’s Store | Society6 and Redbubble.com: LYLTExpressions Shop | Redbubble.
I am a GLORIOUS Dragonfly because I am an inspirational creature whose joy, lightness, wisdom, maturity and poise promotes a change in perspective. This is how I see myself and is why I use a dragonfly as a symbol on my signature card. I explain in more detail in the article I wrote about it:
*Update Meeting a Goal*
I am Excited to say that I published my first Book in September! Marking off one of my “Productivity Goals” for 2022. “Ballet & Jazz Dance Dictionary, A Compilation of General Terminology and Technique” is on sale now in spiralbound paperback and ebook formats on lulu.com. The ebook is also available anywhere ebooks are sold.
Moving Forward
With one goal met I am moving forward. I have a lot of plans for my professional writing goals for 2023 and am excited to go on the journey to completion. I am working on self-publishing my Life Experience book, a couple of short stories and still plan to publish the children’s book I’ve written. With this in mind I have a lot of work ahead of me.
My life is my own and I do not follow the crowd on purpose, I spend my time doing the things that I love while also doing the things that are necessary for everyday living. This why I started this article stating that: “there are many parts of me. I am more than just one thing”.
This understanding is me being myself and I end this article by reminding you that:
“It’s a GREAT Day to be YourSelf”, doing otherwise is just too stressful and takes away from your ability to NjoyPeace.
Lorraine J.
