Meet Alana Shipman: Artist and Mom

We had the good fortune of connecting with Alana Shipman and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Alana, what’s the most important thing you’ve done for your children?
There are many things I have done as a parent that I feel are important in impacting my children. One of the most important one of all that shows up in my children everyday as proof…is instilling them with love and lack of judgement. No matter what the scenario or difficulty, I love them through it and encourage them positively. I feel its so very important to take even a negative situation and teach them how to pull a positive lesson out of it. That is something they can take with them for the rest of their lives. To show them how to look at situations optimistically and with empathy, while making sure their boundaries are strong. Another important thing is paying close attention to your children, for signs of what sparks light in their eyes.These are the things they do with ease and get very happy about. They are the gifts that children are given and should be recognized and nurtured. It gives children a chance to explore and try things out to see what they gravitate to, whether it be playing drums, writing, singing, or a sport. Everyone deserves a good start and to be motivated and loved for the person they were born to be. 

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I am a self taught artist, so I tend to paint whatever is on my mind or inspiring me at that time. I dont paint with a plan in place,its more of inspirational or expressive experience. Sometimes I have long breaks where Im not even painting at all, as 7 painting stare at me waiting to be finished. But thats the ebb and flow of life, and I try to be at peace with myself knowing I will get to it. I do struggle with the idea that if Im not always painting constantly, it must mean I will forget and never paint again. Yet, once I unlock the flow of creativity it all comes right back . Being a mother and having the normal every day routines, especially during these times, can make it hard to stay focused. I feel blessed to have 2 creative children that continue to inspire me every single day. I know when I get that long window of time where Im able to focus and paint , I will .

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I would be hiking Cowles Mountain, camping near Mission Trails, riding my bike along boardwalk and bay. I would eat at West End in Del Mar and watch the train go by as the sun sets, or eating Italian food at Il Fornaio outside, over looking the ocean next to a bonfire. I might take the ferry over to Coronado or walk by the Hotel Del. There’s also Point Break Cafe in Shelter Island, hidden treasure where all the locals go and every one knows your name. After that you can walk by the docks and look at all the boats and the beautiful views.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
There are 2 books that stand out ,one is Way of Peaceful Warrior, by Dan Millman. I read it before and during my cross country trip to CA and it opened my eyes to different perspectives and true optimism. It gives a certain hope and faith in life, and how to become a more peaceful person no matter what craziness life can throw at you. I think everyone can use that, because sometimes its just as simple as how “we react” to situations. We are not made up of our circumstances, we are how we choose to be. Its a lifelong practice but one I will never forget. The other book is Artists Way by Julia Cameron. This book is amazing because it entertains the philosophy that we all are creative and we all have something special. She talks about how our wells run dry and actual things we can do to fill them up again. There are questions that probe sensitive topics about ourselves, that she gets you to bring to the surface and look at. She suggests doing morning pages, where every single day upon waking you journal whatever is on your mind. This lets you start the day with a clean slate. Writing with zero judgement is amazing because it unfolds naturally. It clears the mind of clutter, and helps creativity. You dont need to be an artist to experience this book and I have done it several times. I taught my son how to do this at a very early age. He was and still is, full of endless ideas and creativity. It was before he could even write, so he would tell me what to say and I would do it for him. It was amazing the things that would come out.. and alot of laughs too.

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