Story time.

 

My legal first name is Katherine, but my parents called me Katie.

Growing up in a small town in the south, hyphenated double names were ​all around me.

Anna-Kate. Mary-Anne. Jo-Beth. You get it.

So many folks assumed that my name, Katie May, was just one of those cute pairings.

May, however, was actually my last name.

But it was just so darn cute that people could not separate my first and last.

Over time, most people forgot I even had a last name. I remember one friend in particular whom I had known for my ENTIRE life, asked me at age 16 or so, "Katie-May, what IS your last name?" When I replied, "My last name is May", she exclaimed, "Your name is Katie-May May?!?!" A nickname that also stuck in later years, but that's a story for another day.

I grew to really dislike my name.

Slowly began to push back against it.

When I got married, my last name became Watson. I had someone reach out who was genuinely upset that I did not keep my name as "Katie-May Watson". It began to feel like it was not my own.

For quite some time, I happily lived as Katie Watson. I was married for almost ten years and had some wonderful times with that name. I had three more children in addition to my first, homeschooled my kids, moved a few times, and learned about life.

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After my divorce, I felt like I was discovering who I was and needed even more separation. 

I started going by Kate.

As Kate, I have learned more about myself than I ever thought possible. I tried new things, learned to rock climb, I made new friends, I explored all over the country, I taught myself to love roller coasters, I began painting again, I healed and set boundaries and healed some more. I experienced love and loss and heartbreak. I fell apart at the seams and stitched myself back together in a new and better way.

Keeping the truest parts of me and letting the rest go.

It was a return to ME.

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And so is this art business. My art helped to heal my soul and return to me what had been lost.

I finally embraced to roots of who I am, as well as the new growth and flowering branches I have now.

Thus, my business could have no other name than Katie May Studios.

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