I got my supply kit and sat down at a table with some kids who showed us some of their art pieces and I thought to myself that if they could do something, so could I. My, oh my, how wrong I was!

I started with my foam egg and smeared the goo to make the beads stick. Then the challenge was on: use the needle to create a design that looked moderately attractive. Fail. True, you pick up speed as you place more and more beads but impatience sets in (at least for me, anyway) when the realization strikes that it will take hours upon hours to complete the work. And the egg was a fraction of the size as the other art pieces around the gallery. Kudos to the people who take the time to let their creativity flow.

I consider myself to be creative but I am far from artsy. Because Puerto Vallarta is known to have a vibrant art community, I thought it would be fun to check out Galeria Colectika in downtown PV.

Kevin Simpson is, arguably, the king of the peyote people. I didn't know what that meant until we sat down and he started explaining the diverse culture that is on display all over Mexico.

Kevin has travelled around Mexico, and met with and formed relationships with many people and their families. In fact, during our visit to the gallery we met a family to walk us through their traditional way of art.

Upon our arrival, I knew we would be discussing art but I had no idea I would also be tasked with making some. Again, I'm a writer by trade. I impress with words, not by creative design. I enjoy a challenge and looked forward to doing some beadwork.