I sent these verses to my family this morning from my devotional: Philippians 4:4-9
Always be happy because you belong to the Lord. I will say that again, “Be happy!” Be kind and patient in a way that everyone can see. Remember that the Lord is near. Do not worry about anything. Instead, pray to God about everything. Ask him to help you with the things that you need. And thank him for his help. If you do that, God will give you peace in your minds. That peace is so great that nobody can completely understand it. You will not worry or be afraid because you belong to Christ Jesus. Now my friends, I want to say this to you. Fill your minds with thoughts about good things. Think about things that are true, clean, right and lovely. Always think about things which people know are very good. Remember what I have taught you. Remember the message that you heard from me…God is the one who gives us peace in our minds. He will be with you.”
The past year has been a whirlwind, and the past six months have been full of change professionally and artistically. I left the Whatcom Art Market because of the demands on time it was creating that left me without the break I needed while working full time.
Within weeks of leaving, an opportunity came up to rent studio space, which my husband encouraged me to do. It was hard to imagine not making my art in our daughters’ former bedroom and how would I have all my things?
For the past few months there was no creating going on. It was all about setting up the space. Within a few weeks I had to travel for my real job and I visited a creative space in North Carolina where the exact dream I have of having a studio and retail space was happening. The artist gave me a little key chain as a gift – a metal stamped key chain. We talked a bit about her space and her dreams and my dreams of having such a space, where people can come and be creative, buy gifts, and have fun. I was inspired!
The studio I had rented was one fourth of a large loft inside another business. While I waited to see if any other artists were going to move in, it occurred to me that I hoped not – because the size of the space is perfect for doing just what my new-found friend in North Carolina was doing. What if I take that whole space and create the kind of place where people can “drop in” and create with me? And what if I create a retail space where I can sell my art and designs while allowing others to come in and work on projects? What if I open it up to other artists to come in and teach their craft?
So, I made a commitment for three months to open that exact concept. I have made numerous trips in the evening to the outlying areas to pick up pieces of furniture and accessories from those selling on the Facebook Marketplace. What would I have done without that?? I have ordered supplies, collected metal stamping tools and watched YouTube videos on the art of metal stamping. I have arranged and re-arranged the space. I have advertised and promoted and social-media’d people to death, I’m sure.
My daughter, who is my official business partner and design consultant, even flew up from Las Vegas to help put the final touches and re-touches on my concept.
I ordered cookies, invited everyone I knew, and made a “grand opening” on December 6 during the First Friday Downtown Art Walk, which was extremely well attended.
I imagined groups of women coming in and doing metal stamping with me. I imagined no one at all coming. I imagined too many people coming. I had no idea what would really happen. Planning anything new is a risk, but I know my concept is good. I know, also, that no matter what, I now have time to create and work on my art in a beautiful space.
My first “customers” were my cousins. Two teen boys who loved metal stamping! They were so much fun and enjoyed themselves a lot! All the adults who came through on the first “drop in” studio day glanced around, admired my art, and even had tea…. but no one wanted to create with me.
Last weekend was my second drop in date. Again, teen boys showed up and they were delightful! One boy used the heart shaped blank and stamped LOVE on it, making a necklace for his mom! Heart-melting. The others made backpack tags and they had a lot of fun. It was refreshing to see teen and younger boys enjoying the creative process that included hammers and noise!
A five year old girl came in as well. She and her mom just happened by and she wanted to make an ornament for her and her brother but she did NOT want to hear the noisy hammer! So we made a deal – She would plug her ears and tell me which letters to use to spell the names – Solveig and Jens! Oh she was so cute and she was so proud of her ornaments.
Still, this morning, I was feeling a bit discouraged. Although I enjoyed these kids coming, I really was hoping that some adults would show up and participate. I was thinking maybe I had this all wrong, but I prayed that the Lord would send the right people who needed to be there and that this place would be a place of happiness. I read the verses from the scripture above and went on with my morning.
I was excited that this was going to be a rare day that I wasn’t carrying a load of supplies, Amazon boxes, or furnishings up the stairs with me! I actually only had one stop on the way in, to buy some jewelry stands from a lady (on Facebook Marketplace, of course) so I could hang the key chains, book marks, and luggage tags I’ve been stamping.
I got to the studio just before my advertised opening time and for the first hour no one stopped by. I arranged and rearranged the area for the stands and decided to just keep working on my projects. A couple stopped in and bought some potpourri and a stoneware jar. Nice! A few more trickled through and admired my technique but overall it was pretty quiet.
Then an older man came up the stairs and two young girls came along with him. I was busy stamping and offered them a chance to watch. They were just out shopping and had no idea about my classes or space. The younger girl was on crutches and we talked about her broken ankle and how I am an MRI technologist, and her grandpa knew my place of work well, he said. The older girl became extremely interested in the metal stamps and I asked if they wanted to give it a try, not knowing if grandpa had planned to spend much time with them getting creative.
They both took a seat and I showed them how the letters work and we practiced a couple things before they just went right to work on their ornaments, dog tags, and gifts. They had so much fun and it was pure joy on the older one’s face when she said, “I could do this all day long, every day!” She is in sixth grade while her younger sister is in first. They love creating and they have a room at home, where they live with their grandparents, full of craft supplies and Shaylee, the sixth grader, even knows how to sew. She repeatedly told me how much she loved the space, how much she wanted to spend all her time there, and she said she would work for me for free because she loved it so much!
I made them cocoa and they made a total of six projects in the hour or so they were there. They were so happy and the pure joy of it was such a blessing. They hugged me and signed my guest book, carrying their bag of gifts down the stairs and promising to come back again and again.
Downstairs their grandpa got in a conversation with the owner about some furniture, so the girls headed back upstairs to see me again and to say over and over how much they loved being there.
Willow, the first grader, said she was so proud of herself for all the things she made. I gave them each one of my “mini masterpieces” – a tile on an easel with a pressed flower on the front that looks like a mini painting.
They were so truly happy about that and they hugged me again, promising they would be back soon and that Shaylee would teach me to sew. She is sure her grandma wants to come along as well and they will do all kinds of projects.
God is so good. It was the most encouraging blessing to hear the purity of joy, the longing to be creative all the time, and the absolute beauty of their spirits.
After they left I was just so touched by it all! I decided to step out and get a bite to eat to refresh. When I returned there was a couple in the shop looking around. I greeted them and went back to my key chains. They walked around and chatted a bit then decided to buy a couple of the stoneware jars… and suddenly the woman declared she was buying one of my “paintings” – Windswept. It was on raw canvas, painted in sunflower pigments and a collage of elderberry blossoms and dried sunflower petals. I was so happy – it is my first sale of original art since I moved out of the art market!
I feel that the Lord confirmed that I am doing what I am meant to do. To bring that kind of joy to people simply by being there is such a blessing. I have dedicated a portion of all my sales to very specific charities, one of them being Skookum Kids. Knowing those two little girls live with their grandparents and that Skookum Kids is all about fostering children and their caregivers, I feel led to support that ministry specifically.
I hope Shaylee and Willow will be able to join me in a fundraiser for Skookum Kids on February 7. I have three “Paint-by-Number” canvases with baby animals with their mothers. They will be set up in the studio for people to paint for a donation, with all proceeds and the finished paintings going to Skookum House. And I hope it brings as much pure joy to the children there as it will bring me pure joy to make it happen!
