I've Quit Jan. 7, 2024

Well... the self-taught artist gave up. Yup. I'm done with trial and error and endless YouTube rabbit holes. I've come to a point where business is no longer a straightforward or enjoyable process where I get to create and sell art. The internet has made fine products relatively accessible (especially during a global pandemic when everyone is at home mastering a craft), so the only option we are given is to sell our souls to algorithms and keep up with trends.

I REFUSED. I WILL NOT COMPROMISE MY BRAND OR MORALS.

So that's when I quit. In December 2023, I took my usual Instagram break, but this time, dropping business entirely. There were no commissions ordered and events came to an abrupt halt.

It was after much frustration, conversations of commissary, and PRAYER that a glimmer of hope seemed to appear. But before we get to that, check out the painting I made titled "Hanging By A Thread"

A door opened, and I nearly walked right past it. I reluctantly clicked to watch yet another art video on YouTube. This time was like nothing I had ever seen: an art COMPETITION. Isn't art subjective? Community over competition? Aren't people's feelings going to get hurt? You would never believe how many hours I spent watching the episodes, learning about the program offered, and oil paints -- a medium I have wanted to comprehend for ages. Something sparked in me.

 

Documenting THE Journey- Jan. 8, 2024

In the last post, I shared my story of quitting and what sparked this journey of rediscovery-- the rediscovery of learning and loving the art world fully.

For many years, I believed art was subjective (which in part is true) and had no rules. I now notice the rudimentary skills I lack. Colour theory, proportions, and brush techniques must be used to their fullest to create a successful piece of art. And yes, a painting can be unsuccessfully executed!

This is why I felt so stuck! Entrepreneurship is still relatively new, while my technical art skills are intermediate. My goal for 2024 is to PAINT LIKE A MASTER. To understand the ways of the masters. Fittingly, I've enrolled in a course: The Mastery Program.

To paint like a master, you have to think like a master. Could you tell this is the base layer of a duck?

Week one already proved to be a challenge. After weeks of research and multiple runs to the art store, I realized it takes more than tutorials and blog posts to conquer a skill. On the very first assignment, the oil paint took much longer to dry than anticipated. I guess trial and error will prevail since it cannot be banished entirely.

 

Waiting... Jan. 11, 2024

While I waited for the oil paints to dry, I was instructed to start a drawing. I've loved drawing for as long as I can remember! This will be a piece of cake, I thought. HA. Humility strikes again. You know when in the movies: an artist will squint their eye and hold up a pencil toward their subject, then hold it in front of the canvas, and extend their hand in the air (as if they are evaluating something)? Well, it's not all for show! I learned how to measure like a master! Am I good at it... Absolutely not. But it was fun and I'll show you what I made:

I drew that from looking at my own hand. Pretty impressive, huh! Well, back to watching paint dry...

 

Here's What's Happening- Jan. 15, 2024

You may be curious why I have gone on a blogging spree. The truth is that I have not sorted out all the answers. Social media demands users to "add value" or give the reader cold hard facts. But the fact of the matter is, I do not know where my life is headed and what it all means. What I do know is: that in this godless and self-focused era, we need hope.

The Author must write this story.

I am sharing on my website since it is where I feel safe. The people who peruse the site or subscribe to the email list are the ones who desire to experience the beauty of life in its fullness.

I have little control over who decides to stick with me here. And that feels liberating. Allowing God to do His work through this business is exciting.

This is where we will be free to learn, heal, and simmer in the intricacies of life without worrying all the day long about likes and analytics. But don't throw the baby and the bath water away because you can still comment on the posts! And there's a little heart at the bottom. But the goal is for you to enjoy the stories of life and remember that your ordinary life is more extraordinary than you think!

Even the small things make a huge difference

 

It Wasn't Meant To Be- Feb. 2, 2024

I contemplated quitting business, Instagram, or e-commerce completely nearing the end of 2023. But as a last resort, I sent a questionnaire to admirable business owners asking about their journey as an entrepreneur. Technology threw a wrench in my plan... the form wouldn't submit their answers. UGH.

I should have left art as a hobby. I am not cut out to be an entrepreneur. This must be a sign for me to quit...

SCROLL TO HAVE YOUR MIND BLOWN

Hold on a second. Did you know that the WORLD FAMOUS artist Vincent van Gogh did not rise to fame until 11 years AFTER HE DIED?! We have such a skewed perception of fame and success these days. Hard work has been wiped off the map and replaced with vain money-making schemes. Unfortunately, van Gogh died before his art was taken to museums and sold to collectors by his sister-in-law Johanna van Gogh-Bonger. It took the woman over a decade to establish his name but it revolutionized the art industry for good.

Maybe there is still hope for me?

 

Can Hatred Be Helpful? Mar. 26, 2024

You know I used to HATE READING BOOKS…

...being uncomfortable, risking failure, and feeling out of control. But over Christmas break, I read a couple of novels (even my closest friends and family gasped when I told them… that is how much I avoided reading).

At first, I wanted a spreadsheet that included all the names, places, and important dates I needed to remember instead of allowing the author to take me on a journey to discover the intricacies of the characters’ lives. And it got me thinking…

Pssst! Here's a finished charcoal drawing that gives the feeling of nostalgia. It's up on the site for purchase 💗

...Instead of hating the things bound to happen in life, why not hate the thing that makes me tunnel-visioned?! Social media ideals. They keep me in a 2-dimensional box, and while there’s no reason to fight all limitations, at least make them 3D! Live real life, make mistakes, and take the path of success.

It took a few weeks for me to feel challenged by the school assignments, but once I entered uncharted territory I began to panic. And, as life does, other more pressing matters came up, so the workload had to lessen for just a minute... or two... or the entire month. This also made my business mind freak out since "consistency is key". But quality takes time.

I’ve begun to LOATHE marketing. Click here and buy this. Follow ME and buy that. BOOOOORINGGGGG. I want stories. I want poems. I want to demand the viewer's attention with thought-provoking questions, and social media is only meant to numb your precious and beautiful mind. I want to make you laugh (hopefully with me and not at me) and I want to make you smile. To break through to the emotions you (and I) try to numb.

I want my art to mean something

 

The Woman Who Changed History- April 2, 2024

Do you remember the blogs I referred to reading books (and loving it) and Vincent van Gogh? Well, there's more you need to know!

This gripping novel, written by a bestselling author, Caroline Cauchi, captured many facts about art history, french culture, and painting techniques. I was so blown away by the story that I decided to fact-check. And it's true!

Being a woman in the art industry during the 1800s was not for the faint of heart, and I would go as far as to say that Johanna's approach entirely revolutionized how art is viewed today.

A little recap on Johanna; She was from the Netherlands and met a man named Theo from Paris. Theo was an art dealer (like a real estate agent for artwork) and brother of the renowned painter Vincent van Gogh. Johanna and Theo got married and soon after had their first child. But little did she know her whole world would turn upside down.

Many people know Vincent as the deranged maniac who cut off his ear, and while this is (debatably) true there is one major detail left out. Theo and Vincent were two peas in a pod, inseparable. They shared an apartment in Paris where Vincent could paint to his heart's content and enjoy the typical Parisian life despite his poverty. The major turning point was when Vincent was sent away because of his instability and horrifying reputation among the locals and art community. He chose a place in the country far away from his brother and was forced to make correspondence through letters.

This is where Johanna's genius comes in...

Reading about famous artists has been a reminder that growth isn't linear, and even the masters took risks

and often failed. Painting people seemed far outside my capabilities... but I did it!

There were many critics when Vincent was alive and despite Theo's attempts to display his art in galleries, no one would accept Vincent's work. Tragically within 6 months of each other, both Vincent and Theo died. And that left the late van Gogh's wife in possession of the brothers' belongings. Johanna took an entirely different approach in the art world: Storytelling. Women like a good story, the tea, an emotional connection of sorts, so Johanna Bonger-van Gogh took to the art scene by adding what she thought was the missing piece. She compiled letters and journal entries from the brothers and paired them with each of Vincent's works of art, creating a small biography to capture the meaning of what we now know as some of the greatest works of art.

Today, adding a title and description to the finished artwork is a standard practice!

Now THAT'S a story