I often say that skateboarding is both sport & art.  So it makes total sense that skateboarders are athletes and artists.  Many skateboarders are artists off the board too.

So which came first the artistry or sport?  Well in Melissa’s case the sport just a different kind of board.  She started snowboarding at 15 and would have skateboarded in the summer but where she came from the community frowned on skateboarding.

I’m happy communities today are changing their attitude about skateboarding.  I believe it’s a much better use of energy to encourage others.

At least for me – I’d rather spend my energy encouraging others than ignoring them, or judging them.  When I encourage someone it makes them feel good and it makes me feel good.  Did anyone ever feel guilty about giving a compliment or encouraging word?  I don’t think so.  And yes everybody has something they can be complemented on!

Melissa is the same way – she wants to promote happiness and she does it through her art.  Her art is macrame jewelry.  She was born with a love of jewelry and her mother encouraged her by taking her and her sisters to the local bead store to make jewelry.

She also found that she loved giving away the pieces even more than making them.  Sort of like encouraging someone does as much if not more for you.  From beads she started making simple hemp bracelets and from there came macrame jewelry.

If you’re wondering how long a piece takes, there’s a wide range from 30 minutes to over 8 hours.  So which came first patience on the board or making jewelry?  I think they feed off of each other – having patience in one area of your life teaches you patience for another area.  Same with focus – if you can learn to focus on your skate tricks you can apply that focus to getting tasks done in your life.

Melissa now lives in California where the weather is usually good for skateboarding and she’s found other skaters that encourage her – shout out to the squad at Carmel Valley Park.  When she’s not skateboarding she’s making jewelry which you can find at local surf shops or on her etsy store.

More girls skateboard when they see girls skateboarding for fun.  And more communities like skateboarding when they see that skateboarding is sport & art.