My Ambidextrous Brain

I always thought I was my mother's child. Growing up, I was always told I took on her traits or those of her side of the family—her creativity, the joy she found in making things, the Bennett nose, the blue eyes, even the blond-ish hair. So I just assumed that I was most like her and went on with my life.

Enter adulthood, and as self-realization and identity came into play, I was faced with the stark reality that I turned out a lot more like my father than I ever imagined. Don't get me wrong, that's not a bad thing. My father is a brilliant man who I always go to for advice, business questions and much, much more.

But the pendulum had swung the other way, and I started to think of myself as a Watson who looked like a Bennett and liked to make things. Then, one day, it hit me: I scored the best of both worlds. I'm not just talking looks, either. My mother's creativity, humor, way with words and passion melded with my father's propensity for analysis, logic, business savvy and smarts.

Right Brain, meet Left Brain. With our powers combined, we are The Ambidextrous Brain! And that's the inspiration for my new blog. Between having a design background, being a small creative business owner, leading the I Heart Art: Portland project and working in marketing and communications on an institutional scale, my ambidextrous brain is overflowing with thoughts, ideas, advice, knowledge and expertise that I want to share.