Back in high school, my sister Cindy and I had a very serious, very real competition: who could get invited to more proms. Junior prom, senior prom, random school dance across town? Didn’t matter. The boys weren’t the point—we just wanted to WIN. To this day, we both claim victory. (She’s wrong. I won. Obviously.)
Fast-forward to this year:
There I was in a fancy gown again—this time at the CFA Annual Banquet, where three trophies I made were presented, including the very first Perpetual Agility Trophy in CFA history.
It was historic. It was sparkly. It was stressful.
And yes… I was proud.
Also me:
– Bought the banquet gown under protest (Cindy can confirm I wear mascara only under extreme duress—and gowns only when tricked into a competition)
– Wore heels, make-up, and made small talk—three things I normally avoid like glitter in carpet
– Smiled through a full-blown existential Impostor Syndrome crisis, covered in craft sparkle and heat rash
What You Didn’t See:
Last year:
🛠 400 handmade gifts—at cost
🚗 I drove them across the country
⏰ Stayed up all night finishing them
💸 Paid in “exposure” (adorable concept, doesn’t pay rent)
This year:
🏆 Made two trophies and one topper
🧾 Sent a bill (scandalous!)
💃 Wore the gown
🔥 Got constant wildfire alerts as fires crept closer to home
😰🌡️ Worried about my cats in the California heat
🐈⬛ Held it together with nothing but glitter, coffee, and disassociation (because this… is not my natural habitat)
But here’s the twist:
👯♀️ I met great, like-minded people
✈️ A friend paid for my flight—with her own miles ❤️
💄 I experienced the surreal joy of glam for a night
🤔 And—lucky me—someone kindly pointed out that I “complain a lot”
I get it. When you’ve got a safety net, the truth sounds dramatic.
When you are the safety net, it just sounds like Tuesday. 🥱
As comedian Zoltan Kászás says:
“You ever just… do everything?”
Yep. That.
If you’re here reading this—thank you. You’re the reason I keep showing up.
And if you want to support the chaos that keeps this weird, sparkly dream afloat:
Because artists can’t survive on applause alone.
And my cats are not interested in metaphors. Only dinner.
—Sande
#artistlife #cfaagility #trophymaker #funnyartstory #supportcreators
