I never got into painting when I was young.

Or maybe I did, but I don’t remember ever doing it.  I think it was one of those things I dreamed of doing, and one of those things I probably decided was too impractical to pursue.

One of those little longings I abandoned for a while.

Something happened in 2009, though, that changed all of that.

Painting Furniture

I started this blog.

As I was writing and changing things around our home, I shared it, and then I painted more.  And more.  And more.  And more.  No coffee table was safe.  No wall color was set in stone.  You remember.

I sold my furniture in the stores, painted for clients and even wrote a book filled with painted furniture, countertops, fabric…paint was at the center of most projects.

Eventually, after loads of tutorials, and hundreds of pieces painted, I just got tired of it.  Like, physically and literally tired.  It hurt my back, old lady that I am, and it just became such a chore.  While I still love to slap some paint on a piece at home when I am ready to change it, it felt right to stop painting furniture as a part of my business.

Painting Displays and For Design Clients

I was able to shift a little, and paint more creatively, for the store displays and for design clients, adding my touch here and there.

It was then I began playing with paint on canvas, and using new mediums.  I always did love the feel of a brush in my hand.  I only sprayed a few pieces of furniture back then…it was always about the weight of the brush in my hand, and what we could do together.

For the Love of Paint

Then, through the way of life and busyness of work, I almost stopped completely.  It took me a couple of years to really miss it again, probably about the time I started writing to you once more.

There is something about paint and words for me…they, in and of themselves, require openness and vulnerability from me.

But it happened.

And I remembered…I remembered how much I loved the weight of the brush in my hand, and how good it felt to splatter paint this way and that.

Painting always was therapy for me.  Now, it feels like healing.

I’ve started to play with new mediums again, have sold my own original art, sell my prints and designs on Society6, and am working on new collections for The Creative Exponent.

Friends, some passions aren’t meant to be put down.  Maybe they need a minute to develop, or maybe you need a moment to rest, but when you close your eyes and dream of your most fulfilled life, if that thing is there, with you…allow it to find you again.

You’ll be so glad you did. 😊