Watercolor watermelon. Practicing watercolor :)
Hello, my friends!
I hope you are well!
Summer is here!! It's time for the pool, the beach, and time with the fam. :) It's a great time of year for me! Creatively speaking, I've been working on some fabulous projects for Chameleon Pens. It's both fun and challenging. This is my first design team, and I've been feeling my way along, with LOTS of love and support from my lead, Cathy Andronica! Today, I thought I would share with you a bit about my journey to become a designer, and also give you a quick catch-up on what's been happening on my YouTube Channel. Learning to overcome fear.
Am I a designer? Is this really happening??!! Did someone finally take a chance on me?!
These are just a few of the thoughts that have been running through my head. You see, being a designer has been a dream - a BIG dream - for me for quite a while. I started applying to design teams in 2015. 2015...that was a big turning point for me....that was when I really started to see, to recognize, what I want to do with my art, and how I wanted to share it. That was the year I started really putting myself out there in a big way. That was the year I finally started making videos. That was the year I dove into Creative Courage Lab, lead by Melissa Dinwiddie, and made 30 days of video recordings. I didn't think I could do it. I had so many reasons why it wouldn't work. My camera wasn't good. My lighting was terrible. What if no one wanted to hear or see what I was working on? What if people left mean comments? All of those fears...fear of rejection, fear of not measuring up, fear that I am not enough...I've learned that these fears are NORMAL! Most people experience these feelings sometime in their life. Those fears were stopping me. I already had my studio set up to record..yet, I wasn't doing it. Those fears. Then, I was challenged by Melissa Dinwiddie, to just start. What did I have to lose? I asked myself. I don't even have an subscribers on YouTube! So, I did. I just started. Did I feel courageous? NO Were the videos good? NO Was the lighting perfect? NO Did I know what the heck I was doing? NO But.... Did I learn? YES Did I improve? YES Did I gain courage? YES Did I overcome fears? YES Did I grow as an artist? YES Did I grow as a person? YES Am I glad that I took the risk? Absolutely! It was a HUGE turning point for me. It became a springboard. That's when I applied for my first design team. I had no idea what I was doing, I just went for it. I didn't make it. A few months later, I saw an opportunity to apply for another team....didn't make it. I tried again...I made the short list!! Woo hoo!! Progress. I tried again...didn't make it. And then.... I got chance to try out and share some supplies from Creative Art Box. Awesomeness! That was short, but it gave me hope. A couple of months later, I got a message from them, saying, Hey! Chameleon Pens is having an artist call..you should apply! You would be great! I loved Chameleon pens from the first pen that I bought, so it could be a great match! I will try! It was an interesting process. I had a lot of doubts along the way. (but that's a different story!) And, you know the end of the story! I made it!! I'm so excited..and honored..and I want to do a great job, for them, and for you. "What does all of this have to do with me?" You ask. It is my heart to share the joy of creating...the sheer joy of the process of creating. If I could bottle it, I would! There is just something about that place of being lost in the process...time has no meaning, there is just you and the process. JOY. Fulfullment. Beauty. But, fear often stands in our way. It stood in my way. I want you to know, you can overcome that fear. One step at a time, one act at a time, one stroke at a time. You can! Once you make a mark, you are on your way. Trying, starting, these are keys to overcoming fear. There are others, but these two are so important. Try. Just Start. You will get there. You don't have to be perfect..perfect is a myth. It's the journey, the process, that matters. Do it for the sheer joy of it! xoxo,
I've been reading...
Real Artists Don't Starve by Jeff Goins
What's up on YouTube?
I have posted a few videos since we last chatted. Here's a rundown!
I jumped into Ali Brown's Honey's Slim Pickins Challenge! So much fun trying to work with unusual or limited supplies picked by my honey, who happened to be my son. I have to admit, he was really generous when choosing my 5 supplies! It was also more challenging than I expected. Check out Ali Brown here. 
I shared my new supplies from Chameleon Pens, and did a not-so-quick test run, in this Supply Haul.
PS. On a final note, I've been considering sharing my watercolor exploration on YouTube. What do you think? Yes or No?
What would you like to see? Leave a comment, or hit reply, and let me know! |
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