You know when you meet a really amazing human and they end up changing your life?
That’s Audrey. I met her at a local networking group in Ogden after we just moved to the area and I loved her energy.
In 2019, we collaborated on a project and she saw of piece of art I made on the wall in my home and told me, “You should really sell your art.”
At that precise moment, I stopped breathing. With wide eyes, I looked at her puzzled…
You see, until that point, my art was mostly just for me. Selling my art??? That was a terrifying thought. Sure, I’ve been a business owner since 2008, but selling my art felt too vulnerable. Too scary.
The Seed was Planted
But her belief in me planted a seed.
Fast forward to New Years 2023, almost four years later and after having a whole lotta time during Covid to think about being brave.
During my New Year’s tradition, I spent some time visioning for the year and an idea just would not leave me alone.
I tried to ignore it for two months. I then told Richard the idea:
So…. I think we should make greeting cards with my art and your words and create a side income stream for ourselves. I want to make sure it stays fun and creative and I wonder if we can help people know that they matter and make the world a little less of a dumpster fire.
He said okay. (He’s a simple man who does not complicate things like I do.)
Well, $hit. This is no longer an idea in my head, now we have to do something about it.
Reistance and Moving Forward Anyway
Then every bit of resistace that could come up, came up. Of course it did because when you choose to do something that involves showing your heart and soul, it’s really uncomfortable.
I proceeded to experiment with art styles. I had just started playing with watercolors and fell in love with the medium so that’s what I focused on.
We played around with the words. We brainstormed everything from the name, the logo, to the brand colors. Slowly but surely, it all started coming together.
Deadlines Make Things Happen
But the magic didn’t really happen until we have a deadline because deadlines tend to light a fire under your butt, don’t they?
The deadline was being accepted into our first art show, the yART Sale in South Ogden, Utah. My friend Audrey that I talked about at the very beginning? She is the creator of this phenomenal community event.
Now things were about to get REAL. There’s nothing quite like uploading PDF files of greeting cards that you’ve been looking at for months, praying to the printer gods that there isn’t a typo, that the colors don’t turn out neon, and there aren’t shipping delays. <insert dramatic pause here>
Vision Turned into Reality
It all worked out. We had our first art show, which was a catalyst that this wild idea is something real. The way people responded to the art and the messages in the cards made me cry happy tears and be full of such gratitude that my eyes leaked some more.
Here we are today, with four collections, a successful art show behind us, and the launch of our website.
A really big thank-you to our friends and family who asked how things are going and cheered us on when I wasn’t so sure this would all work. I think I can speak for Richard and I, we’re deeply grateful to you.
P.S. For the inside scoop on our first art show, read about it here.
