Geez where are my manners? Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Michele and I'm 50! Yeah, I can't believe it either.

Hello citizens of Steemit!

My name is Michele Graybeal. I'm a California native, born in Berkeley and grew up in Mountain View. I've lived 50 years so far and had a lot of different experiences mainly evolving around art and music. I'm going to attempt to summarize my life here on this post. NOT an easy task!

This is me on my 3rd birthday in Berkeley, '69. Peace and love. We were there during the People's Park Demonstration. But that is another post entirely!

I came from a family of artists so drawing was second nature to me at an early age. Here I am playing around with paints. My father provided supplies for my brothers and I so we were always encouraged to be creative.

My first attempt at art at 3 years old (I think it's a car)

My recent attempt at art (my boyfriend's grandparents)

I think I've made some improvement over the years....or have I?

Music

During my teens through my late twenties I had a music career as a professional drummer. I've toured the US twice once with Mark Isham (New Age Jazz artist and film composer) and once with Ronnie Montrose (rock guitar legend). I was fortunate enough to tour Europe as well and played at the famed Montreux Jazz Festival in 1985. I was only 19. Sadly all of the photos from this tour were lost. Taking pictures back then wasn't as convenient as it is now! I sure wished we had the digital technology back then.

Here I am in Ronnie's band called Gamma. Ronnie is the one with the thinning hair to my right. Ronnie and I became an item and were eventually married. We were together for nine years. We divorced in 2001. Tragically he committed suicide eleven years later from depression. Something I didn't know he suffered from. That would explain the drinking....ah, but that's another story.

Let's move on, shall we?

Next chapter (and I'll make this brief) was my ten year stint in Vancouver, BC. During my thirtysomethings I moved there after being dismayed with the state of the world after 9/11 and began a new life with a new man. After that relationship went down the toilet I met someone new, got married, moved back to California, got divorced and here I am today. Whew!

Coming full circle

I have been posting about my new love...who is my OLD love and my last love. Three years ago, after 31 years apart, I reunited with my very first boyfriend. True love NEVER dies! We both play drums, love the same music, fascinated with new technology and fit together like a glove. Oh yeah. Turns out we both have ADHD. Weee!

What I'm I doing now?

Currently I'm an art director for Warner Bros. on a new animated TV series called Wabbit. We're in our second season and have brought back most of the classic characters so the title will change to, wait for it....New Looney Tunes. Go figure. Again, finally coming back to what I know and love. Never in my wildest dreams would I have imagined I would be creating art for Looney Tunes! But that's how the world turns I guess. Do what you have a passion for, always say "yes I can do it" and have faith you will figure it out as you go along.

At present!

THIS! Trying to ride the Steemit wave and having a blast in the process. If this really takes off it could end poverty. Is that too big of a order to fill? Who knows. It would be incredible to reinvent our way of life on this planet. To end this working our lives away just to pay the bills crap. But I am a dreamer and an optimist, or I try to be anyway. If anything it's fun to reach out to a new community who give a damn about the world and are trying to do something about it. This change is good!!

Peace to you my friends,
Michele