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I have a very special anniversary coming up! In a couple weeks I will be celebrating SIX YEARS as a full-time artist. Yep, Makewells is turning 6! 6 years ago, I left my job as a high school art teacher to pursue “doing my own thing” - but I wasn’t really sure what exactly that meant, but I imagined myself painting freely everyday and people just buying my work. Um, yah, that’s not exactly what transpired...I realized very quickly that the way to create a career was to walk through every open door I could find. I went after every single job I encountered - everything from hand addressing envelopes to teaching workshops to painting a guy with 20 dead ducks he’d just shot and killed (true story - kinda wish I’d declined that job...). I just kept saying yes. Even to things I wasn’t sure how to do. Although I had majored in art in college, I had no experience with photoshop, illustrator, or basically anything digital. But suddenly I had jobs requiring these tools and I had to figure it out! And that, my friends, became the best possible way for me to grow and learn: saying yes to things that scared me - and things I wasn’t sure if I could do. This became the most valuable way for me to learn: by doing and figuring it out. Asking questions, watching tutorials, and not being afraid to reach out to other artists and designers for advice. Now, 6 years in, I’ve reached a place where I’m confident in what I’m best at, and I can say “no” to the jobs I don’t think are a fit. So if you are someone just branching out on your own as a creative, I hope my little story can inspire you. I know for me, that I’m always inspired by reading about other artists’ journeys. Your story isn’t going to look the way you imagined it - so I encourage you to cast away fear and let go of what you think your career as a creative should look like. Part of being creative is learning to bounce the balls thrown in your court (is that a saying? Or did I just make that up...). So keep walking through those doors. Oh my goodness, this was a ramble, but I’m just feeling very thankful today for all of you who support me and follow along, and for this being the path God has chosen for me as an artist.
I’m struggling with procrasti-working lately. This happens to me a lot when I have a big project. It’s not that I don’t enjoy the big project, it’s just that sometimes it’s so big it just intimidates me, so I hide from it. But I’m proud of myself today - Instead if forcing myself to work on what “needs” to be done all.day.long, I told myself I’d work on it for just 3 hours today. In those 3 hours I think I’ve gotten more done on this project than I did yesterday when I tried to commit the whole day to it! On a side note, this “big project” has nothing to do with this photo. This pic is what I’ve been making while I avoid what I’m supposed to be making. What’s your go-to procrastination vice? Mine is obviously painting flowers...
Oldie from my sketchbook, but so true today and always. Can’t stop, won’t stop. I like to make pretty things ❤️🤷‍♀️😍🤪
Great way to start the week - spent some time #Biblejournaling this morning :) Psalm 145:9