My third year: a business review (plus: a sale!)

“A little magic can take you a long way” Roald Dahl 

I recently had my business anniversary – 3 years!

Here’s my year 1 review and year 2 review if you’re interested.

I’ve thought I can’t believe it’s already been 3 years and has it only been 3 years? in the same moment and both feel equally true.

So what have I been up to this year? Here’s the completed artwork I’ve done in year 3:

I painted a lot less than previous years, but to be honest what I did paint feels more meaningful since I had to work so SO much harder to find the time.

It’s been an incredibly intense year in both beautiful and challenging ways. Even though I worked less on my business due to raising Isaac full time, I love that becoming a mom had such an influence on this year’s art.

The monthly stickers are particularly special to me, as I sketched most of them last fall with Isaac sleeping in my lap. Working on the project gave me hope that I’d learn how to balance motherhood and my business with time, and painting again after an incredibly difficult first few months of parenthood also boosted my spirits when I desperately needed it.

Art is so healing, isn’t it?

Here’s another sweet baby who just celebrated with the 6 month sticker. Thanks to her mama for sharing the photo!

And speaking of mamas sharing their photos, here’s another who just decorated her little girl’s room:

It’s the Let’s Go On An Adventure painting (the print is available here), and I love this sweet room.

Thank you to all who share your photos with me – I truly love seeing them.

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

One of my other favorite ways to review each year is to think about my top lessons. This year I have 4:

Trust your path.
Trust, trust, trust, especially when the path winds out of view. I’ve certainly made mistakes this year but I’ve always trusted that I was on the right path and that any mistakes would become lessons to lead me somewhere beautiful. Now in hindsight I can see why everything happened the way it did and that fills me with renewed courage heading into year 4.

You can’t rush clarity.
You can’t rush anything, but you can show up every day with an open heart. I really feel this one, as it’s the heart-centered approach that keeps us open to exploring and creating. I was so hard on myself this year for not being able to do everything I wanted in my business while also raising a baby, and my health has suffered every time I attempt too much. What I’m taking with me into the next year: everything works out when it’s supposed to and progress is progress, no matter what. Instead of pushing too hard, practice grace and peace.

Listen.
By this I mean listen to every part of yourself – heart, mind, body, intuition – and heed the messages you find there. My 2016 messages focused on trust, love, and direction, which are all so important for the beginning of my mama / business journey. Not surprisingly, those are also the messages that showed up in this year’s paintings.

Uncover the joy.
I truly love creating with my hands, but each time I paint I also have to dig deep for the creative courage to approach the canvas. My favorite lesson from this year: you can feel intimidated and joyful at the same time and both are equally valid. The goal is to recognize both emotions for what they are and deliberately choose joy. For me, deliberately choosing joy means sitting down to paint even when I don’t feel like it (especially when I don’t feel like it!), as I’m always happy I did.

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

I’m really excited about this upcoming year, as my business goals moving forward feel so so connected with where I want to head in life. Hello, clarity!

I’ll share more soon, but here’s some short-term news: I’ll be removing a handful of prints and paintings from the shop soon (I’m in the midst of restructuring!), but I’d of course love to give them good homes instead. They’re all 50% off, so make sure to check out the clearance section of my shop for details. There’s no code necessary, as the discount has already been applied. 

Last but not least, here’s the little family I’ve put so much of my love and energy into this year:

I feel like the Roald Dahl quote above – a little magic can take you a long way – is how I feel about this year in the end. It’s been a wild, unexpected ride, but also full of love and sweetness and art that both surprised and delighted me.

Thanks for sticking with me on this journey! I can’t wait to see what next year brings.

With love,