Seven Years of Studio Life...

It all started with a simple, "Yes."

I can’t believe it’s been seven years since I said “Yes.”

I’ve always been creative; since I was a little girl, I have been making things with my hands. I’ve always loved interior design and architecture and always seemed to collect loads of books, magazines, beautiful papers, and all the art supplies. These things inspired me incredibly, but more often than not, I would keep them like treasure, never really wanting to “mess them up.” They looked beautiful to me just as they were, pristine in their packages, smiling back at me. So, for about 25 years, I did nothing substantially creative. I was completing high school and then college and a partial MBA. I was focused on getting a “corporate” job and climbing that ladder, but, truly that was never for me. I spent a number of years in retail management, and that gave me a small creative outlet, but there was always more brewing inside of me.

About eight years ago, the creative call rose up in me, and it was a voice that wouldn’t be quietened. In fact, it was more than a creative call; it was The Creator’s call. I answered that call by beginning to listen, but I wasn’t ready to put my “yes” on the table. I was skeptical, doubting, fearful, ashamed even. But He kept meeting me, time and again, and stirring my soul at its deepest levels. I’ll never forget how gentle He was with me, drawing me in (never pushing) with things only He could know would draw my heart to His. Slowly, He showed me how the identity I was seeking was found only in Him.

Through all these stirrings, I found myself far from home and truly seeking to know His heart, longing for firm ground, and knowing something larger than life was about to happen in my life. I had no real sense of whether it would be good or bad, but I knew in my soul a major change was on the horizon. That weekend, He showed up to me in several very significant ways: 1) in a time of prayer and silence, 2) in a creative watercolor class, and finally, 3) on a mountaintop.

I came home from that trip knowing, without a doubt, that I had encountered God in three very palpable ways. He showed up, and He showed out for me, and I was overwhelmed with His love and blown away by His kindness because, honestly, I didn’t deserve it. I spent a whole bunch of years running in the opposite direction of Him. Three short months later, He presented me with another “ask,” and without hesitation, I finally gave Him my “Yes!”

He has done so much good, kind, and gentle work in me since that time. He set me on brand new paths in every aspect of my life, one of which was committing to painting regularly and showing my work. This is one of the ways He meets me and speaks to me. He calls me to slow down and listen and then things come out on paper. The first image shows the very first paintings that came out of my hands. The second one is some of the most recent iterations of this ongoing series I now call, Prayers In Color.

It still blows me away when I look back at them and see all the Lord was doing. He is faithful and true.

Thanks for being on this spiritual journey with me and for celebrating seven years of spiritual wholeness and seven years of art. It means so much that I have folks like you that I can share it with.