Liza Compass

I also sold three original ink drawings in Oklahoma City!
“Chef”🥕 “Bait”💰 and “Wolf”🐺 all found homes with new collectors in OKC, and I couldn’t be more grateful 🥰

Life update and long post ahead, so buckle in friends.

I know many of you are concerned after the story I posted last night about my accident driving home from Oklahoma so I need to begin this by emphasizing how incredibly BLESSED I am in all the ways possible. I am blessed in my health, my family, my business and my overall mental well being all things considered.

The past year or so has been a pivotal turning point in my life and this past week has been absolutely life changing. The hardest thing for me to grapple with right now is the fact my life and my Mom's life could have easily ended yesterday, but it did not. That means something significant to me, and I will carry that through with the changes I've been preparing to make in my life moving forward in the coming months.

So let's start with the van saga of April 2026. Vinny Van Go is the best car on this planet and I will shout that from the rooftops until my last breath. Yes, he looks like he's about to kidnap you... but he is a kind, misunderstood soul and hearty as HECK! I've driven Vinny all over the United States an average of 30,000 miles per year since buying him used in 2022. I love my van, and I know him better than anyone. Our first sign of trouble was on Saturday April 18th while Mom and I were on our way to day one of the Chain of Parks Art Festival in Tallahassee. As we were pulling out, my tire pressure light came on. It was early in the morning and still dark outside on a rural road so we turned right back around to our amazing friend Suzie's house where we were staying. Without missing a beat, we threw or stuff in her car and she drove us to the Festival grounds to finish setting up to open for customers at 10am. She and my Mom then proceeded to take my van to the nearest tire shop miraculously open on a Saturday to see what was going on. We were told the tire pressure was fine, but that the pressure sensor on my problem child tire was malfunctioning. So they replaced the sensor, but the tire light was still on. The shop then told us it was likely the sensor on my spare tire under the van because "my tire pressure was perfect" but they didn't have time to check the spare sensor. Great. Because we had a slammed weekend and no time to stay longer to fix the problem on Monday before driving to OKC, we resolved ourselves to the idea my tire light would be flashing non-stop all the way home. After closing the show and packing up on Sunday, I decided to check the pressure again for myself just to make sure. Well GUESS WHAT... my tire pressure was not fine. My tires take 48psi because of the nature of my vehicle and the weight it carries and every single one was low. Our problem child was the lowest. So I filled them up, my tire light went off, and Mom and I decided to drive to Oklahoma with caution, checking the pressure each morning to track a suspected slow leak in that tire.

We arrive in Oklahoma City safely on Tuesday evening (4/21) and finish preparations to load in and open for the VIP preview of OKC Festival of the Arts the next day. All goes well up until this point, but I will note here that I'd occasionally felt the subtle pull of an engine misfire every so often since we'd left Tallahassee. Again, I KNOW MY VAN. So at this point I filled Mom in on my suspicions and we agreed the best course of action was for her to take the van to a mechanic Thursday morning for a thorough tire check and engine check (particularly my spark plugs) while I ran the booth. She did that, and had the mechanic call me to discuss my suspicions while I finished setting up for the day at the festival site. They checked my tires and said everything was fine on that front, and told me nothing could be done about the spark plugs unless my check engine light was on. I pushed back on this, asking for a test drive and inspection, but it was clear they didn't have the time and probably thought I was an overreacting female. And on a practical level, I hoped they were right. But my gut still wasn't satisfied. So my Mom drove the van back to the art festival with no new work done, and we finished our evening there selling artwork until 9pm. The next few days of this show would be even more taxing, holding hours from 11am-10pm Friday and Saturday and 10am-7pm on Sunday prior to load out. This show is exhausting, but extremely profitable. Which is wonderful, because on Friday morning (4/24) as we are one mile away from the art show, my van begins shaking and my check engine light comes on. SHOCKER! So we pull over near the show, we switch drivers and I head to my booth while Mom drives my shaking van down the street to the same mechanic. So another inspection and $1090.59 later, my van has all new spark plugs (HA!) but the same troubled tire which the mechanic did say is cupping and we should have replaced with heavier duty tires. But did that happen Friday? NO because there was no time and it would be "safe to get us home" because the tire was otherwise fine.

Up until this point, this already sounds like a lot. But let me tell you... I genuinely have the best support system in the world. My mother is amazing for traveling along with me and being my right hand to handle things when s**t hits the fan, and she always handles it with love and grace for me and my dreams. It's truly amazing to witness, and I am incredibly lucky to have her as my Mom. This surely could have destroyed us mentally this weekend, but all we could do was think about how convenient and serendipitous everything had been up until this point. We'd made it to both shows. We were doing the thing and making money. And we made A LOT of money in Oklahoma City. It's the best art show I've ever had. THANK. GOD. And the art world connections and conversations I had throughout this weekend were worth even more to me. I left the show on Sunday feeling the most inspired and grateful and motivated to change my life in ways I've merely treated like a pipe dream in the past, but I was READY FOR IT.

And then, I almost died yesterday.

While driving south on I-75 just past Gainesville I was contemplating so many things. Mom was sleeping as I drove in silence thinking about my plans for the future. Grateful for the resources and connections I've earned through my hard work and willingness to unapologetically chase my dreams. And I was thinking about my van, and my tire, and how grateful I was that God had me and how everything always works out. That's when my tire blew out. And then I was spinning, and spinning, and smelling burnt tire and cars sped by down the interstate from all directions, but I was somehow still very calm. And then we were facing the wrong way in the middle lane, stalled, with a semi truck heading right for us. I thought I was about to die, yet I was still calm. The truck missed us, but didn't stop. No collision happened at all. I got my van back into drive and slowly maneuvered it to the shoulder between cars speeding by. I jumped out to see my troubled tire mangled and shredded, skid marks spiraling down the road, tire tread everywhere... but we were fine. No air bags deployed, no bodies sore or broken. My art was fine. My van was... mostly fine. And I'm able to sit here and write this post saying that despite everything that has transpired in my life over the past several years... all of the heartbreak, and loss and disappointment in myself and others... all of the self doubt and loathing I've straddled myself with mean nothing to me in this moment. I'm here, my Mom is here, my husband is here... and there's a reason we each have life in us to live every morning we open our eyes on this Earth.

That brings us to today and what happens now. My Aunt Donna and hubby came to save us and help get Vinny to a nearby mechanic. Thank God for them and AAA for sending the kindest most hilarious down-to-earth tire guy (shout out to Chuck) who despite his initial suggestion to fix it with some duct tape, diffused the situation perfectly and helped get us to safety. He was the best, and also agreed that clearly no one knows my van better than I do and gave me major kudos for staying alert and alive through that entire ordeal. I regaled him with the entire story above and he emphasized I should always trust my gut because I have a good one and a good head on my shoulders, and I will never take those words for granted. Although a stranger, he was the Dad energy I needed in that moment, which some of you know is hard for me to come by. It's a soft spot in my heart that hit a nerve particularly hard yesterday because of some private happenings I'm not ready to talk about openly. But I just need to say this too... we all have parts of us that feel missing. We all go through hard times that unfortunately stay with us and wreck our nervous system for years. But there is a higher power there to hold you up and make sure you keep going. Our time here is finite, but we are each meant to do something while we are here on this Earth.

Is it going to be cheap getting Vinny back on the road? Not at all. He needs all new tires, a new rim, and lots of suspension work done among other things. But he's in the right hands, he will be drivable, and I have the money to make it happen and get to my next two art shows I have scheduled in May. God is good, and I am beyond grateful to my amazing family, friends and art community for continuing to walk along side me and support me through all of life's hurdles. I've spent today curled up at home with the most amazing husband on the planet, thankful for my love and all the amazing support I have. Being away from him on trips is not easy, and I know he worries about me constantly while I'm gone. Despite his own fears and anxieties, he is still my rock and I am so grateful for the peace and love I'm always able to come home to in him. I love you Logan ❤️ You are my forever person.

Now onto the aforementioned life changes. I've decided to take a break from the Festival circuit through the end of this year and will likely not return to the road until February 2027. This is not solely because of the accident, but I'd be lying to say it wasn't at least a catalyst in making up my mind. I'm choosing to do this for a few reasons. The first is, I'm almost sold out of original art. While I've been selling like crazy and busy beyond belief, I feel like I've become a print making factory bogged down with the production and weight of running my own business instead of doing the one thing I really should be doing which is making new art. Is it time to hire help and outsource responsibilities? Yes. Which is mind blowing in itself and I'm so grateful for that. But I am going to need time to figure all of this out. The second is my other creative passions I've been eager to pursue for years, because life is short and I know in my soul it's time to reach for bigger things. Some of this involves theatre, and music, and teaching, and traveling the world in the name of art and connecting creative voices. I have a lot of amazing things brewing in my heart, and I'm going to make them happen come hell or high water. I'm done coasting, and I'm done sitting on opportunities and the amazing connections I've made with real change makers because of the little voice that says I'm too small or not good enough.

Some of you have asked it there's anything I need right now, so here it goes. Continue what you're doing. Continue to be here, and listen and support what I do because you already do such a good job with that. And even though I have amazing friends and I know you're already doing this, don't hesitate to spread that love to everyone around you and believe in their dreams too. I will always accept your prayers and am continuously grateful to all of you who show up and offer your kindness and support regardless of whether times are good or bad. I currently have two art shows scheduled locally, and would love to see you there before I take my break. I will be at Mayfaire in Lakeland May 9-10 and at St. Armands Circle in Sarasota May 23-24. I also have plans to begin teaching art independently though workshops and private lessons during the summer, and am open to any help and support my friends are able to lend with getting that started. I know I have so many venues and opportunities on that front, and am excited to get a schedule and more information out about that very soon.

I know this was LONG so if you made it here, thank you for reading. Know that I LOVE YOU and I am so grateful to have each and every one of you in my life.

Life has had it’s ups and downs, as it always does. But I’m grateful for moments like this where I truly feel in my element. Lots of gratitude for the friendships made and conversations had this weekend in Tallahassee… it truly meant the world to me 💕

We’re back in Tallahassee for another wonderful weekend of arts and community! 💚 Art Festival is happening Saturday and Sunday, and I hope to see you there!
And checkout the INCREDIBLE work of my dear friend serving as the face of this year’s festival! I’m so proud and happy for you! Curtis’ work embodies the heart of Chain of Parks so well, and you definitely need to checkout his work in person! 😍
Chain of Parks Art Festival
April 18, 10 am - 5 pm
April 19, 10 am - 4 pm
Park Avenue “Chain of Parks”
Tallahassee, FL
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BOOTH # 163