We had the good fortune of connecting with Diane Costello and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Diane, any advice for those thinking about whether to keep going or to give up?

This is a very tough question and one that I had to be incredibly hard and honest with myself on. I loved what I did and I love what I do now.

Listen to your heart, your body and your happiness. Listen hard. This is where you will find the answers.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?

What keeps me busy? My curiosity! I guess it’s just that I am not afraid to try new things. I mean, I am only as good as I am at whatever it is that I am doing, right now. I am super proud that I ran a successful portrait studio specializing in dogs for over 10 years. I am also proud that I taught myself how to paint with watercolors (work in progress) to quilt (also a work in progress) and that I am not only an award winning photographer, but an award winning quilter too. That I entered a few quilts that I had made in a show in 2022 and took home a few awards. I had never made a quilt before 2020.

We were shut down during Covid for what seemed like forever and during that time I took a nasty fall. Both of these this took a huge toll on me mentally, physically and financially. Rents went through the roof, I wasn’t able to do the physical work photography required. I needed to reinvent myself…It was not easy all the way around. Starting my studio portrait business was the scariest, most exciting thing I had ever done. Closing my studio business was also one of the scariest things I had ever done (can’t call that exciting). I felt as though I had given up on myself and my photography and yet at the same time, I was super excited to design and create my next new quilt. I had something to look forward to. In my spare time, I took a number of online bookkeeping courses to keep me busy!

Since May of 2020, I have made, donated, gifted and sold around 100 quilts (most bed size). I love to create. I love to make. The one thing that has always kept me going was my curiosity to learn how to do or make things. Whether photography, quilting, watercolor painting – the wonder of how something was done and how could I do it was and still is always there and the driver to new creative ideas and endeavors.

What would I want the world to know about me – I am only as good as I am right now. Tomorrow is different. Tomorrow is a new day, a new opportunity, a new idea, a new color. Get out of your own way and let your inner kid with that box of crayons go, see what happens. The rest of the world doesn’t need to know if it didn’t turn out the way you wanted it to…not unless you show them. The fact is, you tried!

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Oh my goodness. Living on the Pacific Coast just 30 minutes south of San Francisco, get your walking shoes on! Golden Gate Bridge, Marin Headlands, the Coastal Trail, Crissy Field, Fisherman’s Warf, a ride on the famous Cable Cars, the Carousel Museum, Golden Gate Park, Chinatown, Muir Woods, oh and Santa Cruz – we are going to be busy oh, we will definitely have fun! Food – the melting pot of cuisine. We will just have to explore the food circuit for sure. I have my favorites, but there are so, so, so many great places that I want to try. San Francisco is an amazing place to see and experience. To tone things down a bit a beautiful stroll along the Coastal Trail and maybe a drive to Pigeon Point Lighthouse.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
My shoutout goes out to everyone who has listened, watched, and supported all of my crazy ideas throughout the years. It is not just one particular person or book or organization, it is little bits and pieces from every one that I have encounter and learned from. Thank you all for being there, for listening, for watching and for cheering me on!

Website: www.fogdogstudios.com

Instagram: @fogdogstudios @coastalquiltcompany

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FogDogStudios

Youtube: fogdogstudios

Image Credits
Diane K Costello

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