Time to Paint

Have you ever made a choice, taken a job, or picked a major, and looked back and thought, "why did I do that?" In the last year, there were a few choices I made when my gut was telling me no. But that gut instinct was silenced by the draw of "good opportunities," "good pay," or the excitement and affirmation of those around me.

I heard it described this way recently.. the trajectory of our lives can be a lot like floating on a lazy river. If you've ever been on a lazy river, then you know it's really nice to be moving without any work. For a few moments it's fun to run against the current, but ultimately you decide to just let the current take you in the direction everyone else is heading. You don't necessarily feel the jets beneath the surface but sure enough, you know they are there.. pushing you along.

In life and in lazy rivers, what we need to do is to lower the waters to see from where we're being pushed, and to where we're being pushed.

Somehow fear had become a silent motivator, or a jet beneath the surface of my thoughts.

So what does painting have to do with this?

Painting has always been where I eventually saw myself when I started working as an artist two and a half years ago. But I had so many different mediums, opportunities, and projects I wanted to try my hand at. And I am so glad I did!

I've worked with ink, calligraphy, illustration, watercolor, charcoal, paints, pencil, Photoshop, Illustrator, paper-making, printing, and graphic design. I have gotten to create logos for amazing creative businesses, I've been published, gotten to play a part in peoples' wedding days, teach, work on styled shoots, meet amazing people, and design tattoos for so many people I have lost count!

When I re-read all of that, I feel so blessed! Every dream I had when I started, the Lord has made possible. But at the same time, I know that if I were to continue too far down that path I feel like I would be living out someone elses dream for my life.

I began to feel the shift some time last year, but on our trip to Italy this Spring, I felt the Lord convicting me that it was indeed time. Time to paint. It was scary to start working as an artist, and honestly... it feels even scarier to now re-orient the consistent business I had built. But I know it's time. And I can't quite express the freedom I felt once I accepted and chose to follow where he was taking me.

So here I am, painting my heart out! Trying to swim against those jets of fear that were silently but effectively sending me down the "easy" river of life.

This Monday, July 10th, I will release the first wave of my paintings for public purchase. And that is down right terrifying. I'm not ruling out the other types of projects I've worked on. In fact, I'm about to begin a new logo for a wonderful client. But the path I'm following will be that of making more space for painting. And I am so excited!

I hope you make space for the things you dream of too. Extra big thank you's to each and every person that has supported me & my business thus far, or let me design permanent tattoos for their body (I mean what?!). Here's to a new chapter!

All the best,

-If you'd like to listen to the podcast that explains "The Lazy River" click here.

-And you'd like to see examples of Jesus providing and responding to faith read Matthew 6:25-9.