1 00:00:00,090 --> 00:00:01,850 Gift is Unwrapped Guest, 2 00:00:01,850 --> 00:00:04,210 episode number 397. 3 00:00:04,400 --> 00:00:07,170 I Was talking with somebody who has a background in Hebrew 4 00:00:07,570 --> 00:00:08,650 languages and they were like, 5 00:00:08,650 --> 00:00:10,530 it sounds to me like it's like Ruok, 6 00:00:10,530 --> 00:00:11,490 like breath of life. 7 00:00:11,490 --> 00:00:12,050 And I was like, 8 00:00:12,120 --> 00:00:12,890 that's it. 9 00:00:13,570 --> 00:00:15,010 Attention Gifters, 10 00:00:15,020 --> 00:00:16,570 beggars, crafters and makers. 11 00:00:17,040 --> 00:00:19,130 Pursuing your dream can be fun. 12 00:00:19,130 --> 00:00:23,130 Whether you have an established business or looking to start one, 13 00:00:23,130 --> 00:00:25,610 now you are in the right place. 14 00:00:26,000 --> 00:00:28,370 This is Gift Biz Unwrapped, 15 00:00:28,370 --> 00:00:32,010 helping you turn your skill into a flourishing business. 16 00:00:32,320 --> 00:00:35,730 Join us for an episode packed full of invaluable guidance, 17 00:00:36,410 --> 00:00:40,130 resources and the support you need to grow your gift biz. 18 00:00:40,280 --> 00:00:44,170 Here is your host Gift Biz Gal Sue Moon Height. 19 00:00:45,180 --> 00:00:45,730 Hi there, 20 00:00:45,800 --> 00:00:48,050 it's Sue and thanks for joining me here today. 21 00:00:48,560 --> 00:00:50,210 It's the week before Thanksgiving. 22 00:00:50,750 --> 00:00:53,130 Can you even believe it's here already? 23 00:00:53,600 --> 00:00:57,250 This is one of my favorite holidays and I think I'm 24 00:00:57,250 --> 00:00:59,090 set Recipes planned. 25 00:00:59,550 --> 00:01:01,450 The first grocery run done. 26 00:01:01,870 --> 00:01:05,530 And now I just need to organize the timing of my 27 00:01:05,530 --> 00:01:06,250 Turkey making. 28 00:01:06,790 --> 00:01:11,130 Extravaganza Included in the guest list this year are three dogs, 29 00:01:11,740 --> 00:01:13,130 my new puppy Biscoti, 30 00:01:13,130 --> 00:01:14,570 and my daughter's two dogs, 31 00:01:14,570 --> 00:01:15,610 Oscar and Bug. 32 00:01:16,100 --> 00:01:20,890 So that should be interesting in the spirit of the season. 33 00:01:21,200 --> 00:01:24,370 I also wanna take this time to tell you how very 34 00:01:24,370 --> 00:01:28,210 much I appreciate you as a podcaster. 35 00:01:28,210 --> 00:01:30,570 This show doesn't mean anything without you. 36 00:01:31,040 --> 00:01:34,610 Your emails to me on how a particular episode helped you, 37 00:01:34,880 --> 00:01:38,330 your downloads that keep me in the top rankings and your 38 00:01:38,730 --> 00:01:44,010 participation in doing reviews and joining Gift our Facebook group are 39 00:01:44,010 --> 00:01:45,850 all so important to me. 40 00:01:46,370 --> 00:01:47,170 Thank you. 41 00:01:47,250 --> 00:01:48,050 Thank you. 42 00:01:49,190 --> 00:01:49,940 In return, 43 00:01:50,050 --> 00:01:52,980 I work hard to bring you guests that will provide information 44 00:01:53,150 --> 00:01:54,700 to help your business grow, 45 00:01:55,300 --> 00:01:57,020 ideas for getting new customers, 46 00:01:57,570 --> 00:02:01,380 ways of doing things differently and more efficiently behind the scenes 47 00:02:02,120 --> 00:02:06,740 and even mindset tweaks for you to consider somehow when you 48 00:02:06,740 --> 00:02:09,900 hear someone else putting into action the things we talk about. 49 00:02:10,190 --> 00:02:13,900 It helps convince you that it's doable and something to consider. 50 00:02:14,780 --> 00:02:19,090 Today's guest plays right into this with an extraordinary story of 51 00:02:19,330 --> 00:02:19,970 business development. 52 00:02:20,480 --> 00:02:24,450 You'll hear how a friend virtually pushed her into business. 53 00:02:25,000 --> 00:02:29,050 A surprising affirmation of her products appeal right in the beginning. 54 00:02:29,590 --> 00:02:31,930 And probably the most important of all, 55 00:02:32,690 --> 00:02:36,890 Stephanie's heartfelt underlying mission that's behind her art. 56 00:02:37,600 --> 00:02:40,770 That and more all coming your way right now. 57 00:02:46,290 --> 00:02:46,810 Oh my gosh, 58 00:02:46,840 --> 00:02:49,210 I am so excited for this episode. 59 00:02:49,360 --> 00:02:53,050 I cannot wait for you to meet Stephanie McDermont. 60 00:02:53,690 --> 00:02:56,970 Stephanie is the self-taught artist of Canary artwork. 61 00:02:57,270 --> 00:02:59,170 She invented what she's Coined, 62 00:02:59,320 --> 00:03:00,720 the RUOK technique, 63 00:03:00,720 --> 00:03:05,240 which uses her breath and acrylic paint to create bold abstracts. 64 00:03:06,040 --> 00:03:10,160 Discovering this talent after a long season of caregiving helped bring 65 00:03:10,160 --> 00:03:12,960 her out of deep depression and has given her a new 66 00:03:12,960 --> 00:03:17,040 career and purpose along with the world's most supportive husband. 67 00:03:17,660 --> 00:03:21,120 She sells her paintings at high end art fairs and galleries, 68 00:03:21,300 --> 00:03:24,160 but the most important work she does is to spread the 69 00:03:24,160 --> 00:03:27,400 word that art heals and hope is real. 70 00:03:28,320 --> 00:03:30,920 Stephanie, thank you so much for coming on the show and 71 00:03:30,920 --> 00:03:32,680 welcome to the Gift Biz on Wrapped podcast. 72 00:03:33,000 --> 00:03:34,000 Thank You Stu. 73 00:03:34,000 --> 00:03:35,200 I am delighted to be here. 74 00:03:35,490 --> 00:03:37,120 We are gonna get to know you in a little bit 75 00:03:37,120 --> 00:03:39,680 of a different way just to kick everything off, 76 00:03:39,700 --> 00:03:43,000 and that is to have you describe yourself by way of 77 00:03:43,000 --> 00:03:44,040 a motivational candle. 78 00:03:44,170 --> 00:03:47,320 So if you were to envision a candle that just speaks 79 00:03:47,320 --> 00:03:48,200 totally you, 80 00:03:48,320 --> 00:03:50,520 Stephanie, describe to us what this would look like. 81 00:03:50,730 --> 00:03:52,320 So I've been giving this a lot of thought, 82 00:03:52,320 --> 00:03:55,760 and I think my candle would look like a gradient. 83 00:03:55,970 --> 00:03:59,480 It would be maybe a dark gray leading into like a 84 00:03:59,480 --> 00:04:00,560 bright white. 85 00:04:00,860 --> 00:04:03,600 And so that when you lit the candle as it's going 86 00:04:03,630 --> 00:04:05,360 down, like in life, 87 00:04:05,360 --> 00:04:06,560 as I'm learning things, 88 00:04:06,750 --> 00:04:10,080 it's letting go of that darkness and becoming lighter, 89 00:04:10,370 --> 00:04:12,960 letting go of grief or learning to live with loss, 90 00:04:13,470 --> 00:04:15,560 just flowing down into a better, 91 00:04:16,120 --> 00:04:17,560 brighter version of myself. 92 00:04:17,790 --> 00:04:18,680 Like the process. 93 00:04:19,230 --> 00:04:20,080 It's a process. 94 00:04:20,130 --> 00:04:25,040 Exactly. And do you have a motivational quote or anything over 95 00:04:25,040 --> 00:04:25,760 and above that? 96 00:04:26,310 --> 00:04:29,720 Absolutely. My motivational quote that I keep going back to is 97 00:04:29,720 --> 00:04:31,520 that you get infinite chances. 98 00:04:32,210 --> 00:04:34,840 Oh, that feels so refreshing. 99 00:04:35,250 --> 00:04:37,600 Oh, I can't tell you as a rules girl, 100 00:04:37,920 --> 00:04:40,000 somebody who really was born this way. 101 00:04:40,000 --> 00:04:41,280 But I love to follow rules. 102 00:04:41,280 --> 00:04:44,320 I love to have these blocks of things that you just, 103 00:04:44,320 --> 00:04:45,880 you don't go past that block. 104 00:04:46,080 --> 00:04:48,720 Being able to think about infinite chances, 105 00:04:48,720 --> 00:04:50,560 let's say I blew it completely. 106 00:04:50,870 --> 00:04:54,040 Well, I used to just stop and now I realize, 107 00:04:54,280 --> 00:04:56,280 let's say I was having a bad day and I was 108 00:04:56,670 --> 00:04:59,560 mean to somebody and now I will go back to that 109 00:04:59,760 --> 00:05:00,400 person, say, 110 00:05:00,590 --> 00:05:01,920 I am so sorry, 111 00:05:02,150 --> 00:05:05,000 I really blew it and could you please forgive me? 112 00:05:05,000 --> 00:05:06,960 And then that block is just totally gone. 113 00:05:07,330 --> 00:05:08,920 So it's in any form. 114 00:05:09,380 --> 00:05:10,760 Any time you're taking a chance, 115 00:05:10,760 --> 00:05:12,960 you can always get another one. 116 00:05:13,270 --> 00:05:17,000 This is so great because it's so freeing in the idea 117 00:05:17,000 --> 00:05:20,680 that do what's on your mind and think about within reason. 118 00:05:20,760 --> 00:05:21,800 Right, right. 119 00:05:21,880 --> 00:05:24,040 Don't put barriers on yourself. 120 00:05:24,260 --> 00:05:27,280 And as we get into the conversation that I know we're 121 00:05:27,280 --> 00:05:27,560 gonna have, 122 00:05:27,560 --> 00:05:29,200 cuz it's all about your business. 123 00:05:29,970 --> 00:05:34,120 If you didn't take chances or do something different, 124 00:05:34,120 --> 00:05:37,320 you would've never come upon the process that you're now known 125 00:05:37,320 --> 00:05:38,880 for. Exactly. 126 00:05:39,220 --> 00:05:42,400 And just keep taking chances in every aspect of your life 127 00:05:42,400 --> 00:05:43,960 because what's the worst that can happen? 128 00:05:44,680 --> 00:05:45,280 Somebody says no, 129 00:05:45,320 --> 00:05:47,240 great. You get infinite chances. 130 00:05:47,260 --> 00:05:47,960 Try again. 131 00:05:47,960 --> 00:05:50,080 Do a different venue or a different person or in a 132 00:05:50,080 --> 00:05:50,480 different Way. 133 00:05:50,630 --> 00:05:53,360 Yeah, or in a different way with your product. 134 00:05:53,360 --> 00:05:54,320 Like I'm thinking, 135 00:05:54,320 --> 00:05:54,640 you know, 136 00:05:54,640 --> 00:05:55,400 I talk a lot about, 137 00:05:55,400 --> 00:05:57,200 especially in this maker world, 138 00:05:57,480 --> 00:06:00,240 there are only so many things that can be made. 139 00:06:00,240 --> 00:06:02,880 And we're gonna talk about how this applies to your craft 140 00:06:02,880 --> 00:06:03,480 in a second. 141 00:06:03,580 --> 00:06:05,160 But someone who's making jewelry, 142 00:06:05,460 --> 00:06:07,520 you learn how to make jewelry. 143 00:06:07,520 --> 00:06:09,160 Let's just say it's beaded jewelry, 144 00:06:09,160 --> 00:06:11,120 just to really define it and niche it down. 145 00:06:11,120 --> 00:06:13,080 And I'm doing this for all of us listening, 146 00:06:13,080 --> 00:06:14,960 just so that you understand where my mind is going with 147 00:06:14,960 --> 00:06:18,040 this. The first thing you learn is how to make jewelry, 148 00:06:18,060 --> 00:06:19,720 how everybody else does. 149 00:06:20,140 --> 00:06:21,680 And if you stop there, 150 00:06:21,710 --> 00:06:24,880 then your creations are just like everybody else's. 151 00:06:25,130 --> 00:06:28,510 Exactly. To your point about infinite chances, 152 00:06:28,720 --> 00:06:30,830 if you go past the limit, 153 00:06:31,080 --> 00:06:32,550 we used to say outside the box, 154 00:06:32,550 --> 00:06:33,670 right? Thinking outside the box. 155 00:06:33,670 --> 00:06:34,670 It's similar idea. 156 00:06:34,760 --> 00:06:36,390 If you go past that, 157 00:06:36,570 --> 00:06:41,390 you may happen upon and develop something that is so uniquely 158 00:06:41,390 --> 00:06:42,270 your own, 159 00:06:42,430 --> 00:06:45,110 which you're going to completely demonstrate here. 160 00:06:46,050 --> 00:06:48,710 And that separates you from everybody else. 161 00:06:48,710 --> 00:06:52,590 Gives you a story to talk about and makes you truly 162 00:06:52,820 --> 00:06:57,910 unique. So this is where I see like these infinite chances. 163 00:06:57,910 --> 00:06:58,710 Take the risk, 164 00:06:58,810 --> 00:06:59,710 try it out. 165 00:06:59,710 --> 00:07:00,830 Maybe it'll work, 166 00:07:00,910 --> 00:07:02,070 maybe it won't, 167 00:07:02,070 --> 00:07:03,270 but when it does, 168 00:07:03,420 --> 00:07:05,430 you've landed on something that's golden. 169 00:07:05,850 --> 00:07:07,070 Yes, exactly. 170 00:07:07,500 --> 00:07:08,470 Yeah. All right. 171 00:07:08,470 --> 00:07:10,950 So how long has Canary artwork been around? 172 00:07:11,400 --> 00:07:13,830 So I started painting in 2017, 173 00:07:14,280 --> 00:07:15,070 so five years. 174 00:07:15,520 --> 00:07:16,430 So five years. 175 00:07:16,430 --> 00:07:19,350 Okay. And what did life look like before that? 176 00:07:19,590 --> 00:07:22,310 Right. So before that I was married, 177 00:07:22,380 --> 00:07:23,510 I have two kids. 178 00:07:23,840 --> 00:07:27,030 We, everything was family and fun and we had our own 179 00:07:27,270 --> 00:07:30,870 business. And then we had some relatives who were getting older 180 00:07:30,870 --> 00:07:31,670 and needed help. 181 00:07:32,200 --> 00:07:33,750 So because we had our own business, 182 00:07:33,750 --> 00:07:35,470 I was the one with the schedule that was able to 183 00:07:35,470 --> 00:07:39,630 take them to doctor's appointments or help them find care or 184 00:07:39,780 --> 00:07:44,270 facilities. And I did that with a lot of our relatives 185 00:07:44,410 --> 00:07:47,430 for about 15 years until 2016, 186 00:07:47,760 --> 00:07:50,030 at which time that season ended. 187 00:07:50,290 --> 00:07:50,790 You know, 188 00:07:50,790 --> 00:07:52,350 when you're taking care of so many people, 189 00:07:52,520 --> 00:07:53,910 if somebody passes, 190 00:07:54,170 --> 00:07:55,230 you are sad, 191 00:07:55,230 --> 00:07:58,710 but you can't let that wave of grief completely engulf you 192 00:07:58,710 --> 00:08:00,870 because you've got somebody else that needs to go to a 193 00:08:00,870 --> 00:08:02,150 doctor's appointment in two days. 194 00:08:02,760 --> 00:08:07,270 So you are just working through all the time and never 195 00:08:07,270 --> 00:08:10,670 really stopping to have that season of grief. 196 00:08:11,120 --> 00:08:14,630 So when I was able to stop all of that grief 197 00:08:14,860 --> 00:08:16,470 just took me down. 198 00:08:16,720 --> 00:08:17,430 It was bad. 199 00:08:18,240 --> 00:08:18,990 Oh my gosh. 200 00:08:19,850 --> 00:08:23,070 And you had multiple people then that you were grieving I'm 201 00:08:23,070 --> 00:08:24,970 thinking. Yes, 202 00:08:25,340 --> 00:08:27,130 exactly. Oh, 203 00:08:27,130 --> 00:08:28,570 I wanna just reach out and give you a big hug 204 00:08:28,570 --> 00:08:28,970 right now. 205 00:08:29,680 --> 00:08:32,970 I would take it if we could Just even talking about, 206 00:08:32,970 --> 00:08:35,690 takes me back to that time because it's so very emotional 207 00:08:35,750 --> 00:08:38,530 and that work that if you were a caregiver listening, 208 00:08:38,940 --> 00:08:42,050 no, that I would absolutely give you a hug too, 209 00:08:42,060 --> 00:08:44,690 because it is the most daunting. 210 00:08:44,880 --> 00:08:45,650 It's just, 211 00:08:45,650 --> 00:08:49,810 it's mind numbing and backbreaking work that just, 212 00:08:50,140 --> 00:08:52,610 it doesn't feel like there's any reward for at the time, 213 00:08:52,610 --> 00:08:54,650 except that you get to spend time with your loved ones, 214 00:08:55,520 --> 00:08:56,840 which is a huge reward, 215 00:08:56,860 --> 00:08:59,360 but it is exhausting is what it is. 216 00:08:59,930 --> 00:09:02,080 So you reach the end of that, 217 00:09:02,230 --> 00:09:04,880 you're exhausted from years of it. 218 00:09:04,990 --> 00:09:06,120 I was full of grief. 219 00:09:06,500 --> 00:09:08,000 And what happened was, 220 00:09:08,000 --> 00:09:12,680 luckily I have a great support system and my best friend 221 00:09:12,680 --> 00:09:13,360 is an artist. 222 00:09:13,700 --> 00:09:17,000 She saw I was drowning and came over and had paints 223 00:09:17,000 --> 00:09:17,680 and said, 224 00:09:17,680 --> 00:09:20,200 look, just paint something. 225 00:09:20,200 --> 00:09:22,080 And I laughed at her and said, 226 00:09:22,080 --> 00:09:23,040 that's ridiculous. 227 00:09:25,470 --> 00:09:26,480 You're the artist. 228 00:09:26,670 --> 00:09:27,960 I don't do anything with art. 229 00:09:28,050 --> 00:09:29,720 However, I do love her. 230 00:09:29,720 --> 00:09:31,640 And I trusted her enough to be like, 231 00:09:31,640 --> 00:09:34,320 well, I'll try it and we'll just so I can tell 232 00:09:34,320 --> 00:09:34,880 her I did it. 233 00:09:35,200 --> 00:09:36,600 That's kinda like appeasing her. 234 00:09:36,740 --> 00:09:37,600 Yes. I mean, 235 00:09:37,600 --> 00:09:38,760 and also again, 236 00:09:38,760 --> 00:09:40,160 exhausted grief stricken, 237 00:09:40,400 --> 00:09:42,400 don't really wanna try something new, 238 00:09:42,480 --> 00:09:43,480 don't wanna do it. 239 00:09:43,480 --> 00:09:43,960 But also, 240 00:09:44,270 --> 00:09:44,720 I mean, 241 00:09:44,720 --> 00:09:45,640 it can get worse. 242 00:09:46,170 --> 00:09:46,960 So Right. 243 00:09:47,230 --> 00:09:49,960 I took out the pace and I started painting and I 244 00:09:49,960 --> 00:09:52,760 could tell that she was onto something because I could start 245 00:09:52,760 --> 00:09:55,720 to see these swirling designs in my mind, 246 00:09:55,860 --> 00:09:59,560 but I didn't have any of the training or skill to 247 00:09:59,560 --> 00:10:02,080 get them from my mind to my hand to the canvas. 248 00:10:02,730 --> 00:10:06,360 So I would continually try and I could see it and 249 00:10:06,360 --> 00:10:07,280 I couldn't make it happen. 250 00:10:07,450 --> 00:10:09,400 So now on top of grief and exhaustion, 251 00:10:09,590 --> 00:10:09,960 I also, 252 00:10:13,280 --> 00:10:14,920 Stephanie, you get another chance. 253 00:10:15,210 --> 00:10:18,120 Exactly. This Is when I found that out. 254 00:10:18,190 --> 00:10:21,720 Yeah. Cause what happened was I was trying to make these 255 00:10:21,720 --> 00:10:23,640 designs and I kept thinning down the paint, 256 00:10:23,640 --> 00:10:25,720 thinning it down cause I wanted it to move in a 257 00:10:25,720 --> 00:10:26,120 certain way. 258 00:10:26,120 --> 00:10:26,960 And I just, 259 00:10:26,990 --> 00:10:30,320 I had that breakdown that had been coming for a really 260 00:10:30,320 --> 00:10:30,960 long time. 261 00:10:31,310 --> 00:10:33,960 I had one of those moments where you literally just like 262 00:10:33,960 --> 00:10:35,000 huff in anger, 263 00:10:35,000 --> 00:10:35,640 like, ah. 264 00:10:36,020 --> 00:10:38,640 And then I threw the canvas down and I walked away 265 00:10:38,640 --> 00:10:42,000 and I went outside and I just curled up in a 266 00:10:42,000 --> 00:10:45,760 ball outside of my house and did that screaming, 267 00:10:45,760 --> 00:10:47,360 that guttural screaming. 268 00:10:47,360 --> 00:10:50,280 And those noises that you make when you're literally naing your 269 00:10:50,280 --> 00:10:54,040 teeth because you can't get the words out and just dissolved 270 00:10:54,700 --> 00:10:55,920 And you needed to, 271 00:10:56,030 --> 00:10:56,480 I think. 272 00:10:57,020 --> 00:10:59,680 And it was so cathartic, 273 00:11:00,900 --> 00:11:05,040 but it was also a turning point because I literally remember 274 00:11:05,040 --> 00:11:06,360 walking back and thinking, 275 00:11:06,360 --> 00:11:08,320 well, I can tell Nicole I tried. 276 00:11:08,630 --> 00:11:10,560 I can tell her that it got me to this point, 277 00:11:10,700 --> 00:11:14,040 but at least I'll never ever have to clean up paint 278 00:11:14,040 --> 00:11:17,760 again. Little did you know exactly, 279 00:11:17,850 --> 00:11:20,120 Because when I went to go pick up that canvas, 280 00:11:20,250 --> 00:11:23,200 it had the exact designs that I had been seeing in 281 00:11:23,200 --> 00:11:23,560 my mind. 282 00:11:23,750 --> 00:11:28,200 Wait, so had you really created them and you just didn't 283 00:11:28,200 --> 00:11:28,840 realize it? 284 00:11:28,840 --> 00:11:31,920 Or did something happen while you were doing the breakdown or 285 00:11:32,290 --> 00:11:34,440 In that moment of the first moments of the breakdown, 286 00:11:34,440 --> 00:11:37,000 I had breathed on the canvas that huff of anger. 287 00:11:37,810 --> 00:11:39,360 Oh, Exactly. 288 00:11:40,870 --> 00:11:42,640 I wish everyone could see my face right now. 289 00:11:42,960 --> 00:11:46,640 Like is that like divine intervention or like, 290 00:11:46,640 --> 00:11:47,320 I don't know. 291 00:11:47,990 --> 00:11:51,040 I would absolutely chalk it out to a divine intervention because 292 00:11:51,040 --> 00:11:54,800 I would've stopped had I not seen the exact design that 293 00:11:54,800 --> 00:11:56,160 was from my mind on that canvas. 294 00:11:56,160 --> 00:11:57,760 And then I had to look at it and go, 295 00:11:57,760 --> 00:11:58,920 wait, how did I do that? 296 00:11:59,070 --> 00:11:59,520 I think, 297 00:11:59,540 --> 00:12:00,720 did I breathe on it? 298 00:12:00,720 --> 00:12:02,600 Did I blow on the paint somehow? 299 00:12:03,020 --> 00:12:05,520 And so I reverse engineered it and I thought, 300 00:12:05,520 --> 00:12:07,280 yeah, not only did I breathe on the paint, 301 00:12:07,280 --> 00:12:09,280 but I can do it this way and this way. 302 00:12:09,280 --> 00:12:11,760 And I spent I for probably six months, 303 00:12:11,760 --> 00:12:15,920 that's about all I did was learn the different ways that 304 00:12:15,920 --> 00:12:19,360 I could make the paint respond to breathing across it or 305 00:12:19,360 --> 00:12:20,080 down at it. 306 00:12:20,210 --> 00:12:23,080 If I added hot water or cold water to the paint, 307 00:12:23,080 --> 00:12:24,120 it would do something different. 308 00:12:24,120 --> 00:12:26,720 If the day's humid and you have to have longer for 309 00:12:26,720 --> 00:12:27,320 it to dry, 310 00:12:27,340 --> 00:12:30,080 you need to tighten up that design so that it doesn't 311 00:12:30,080 --> 00:12:31,600 go past what you're trying to do. 312 00:12:32,360 --> 00:12:34,440 And then sometimes there are parts of it that you just 313 00:12:34,440 --> 00:12:35,040 can't control. 314 00:12:35,040 --> 00:12:38,680 And I really feel like that's something that I'm learning is 315 00:12:38,680 --> 00:12:40,800 that When you can't control it, 316 00:12:40,800 --> 00:12:44,880 it might create something totally different that then allows you to 317 00:12:44,880 --> 00:12:47,200 play off of that in a different way also. 318 00:12:47,690 --> 00:12:50,960 So that I'm thinking just by way of experience when you're 319 00:12:51,400 --> 00:12:55,360 creating, there are probably times when you know and everything works 320 00:12:55,360 --> 00:12:56,120 the way you intend. 321 00:12:56,120 --> 00:12:57,520 So it all turns out the way you want. 322 00:12:57,520 --> 00:12:59,480 But then there's also times when it, 323 00:12:59,480 --> 00:13:00,520 for whatever reason, 324 00:13:00,540 --> 00:13:01,080 you know, 325 00:13:01,280 --> 00:13:01,760 whatever variable, 326 00:13:01,760 --> 00:13:02,560 shoot, maybe, 327 00:13:02,670 --> 00:13:03,440 I don't even know, 328 00:13:03,440 --> 00:13:06,160 but I'm gonna guess maybe it's even the temperature in the 329 00:13:06,160 --> 00:13:07,640 room where you're doing the blowing, 330 00:13:08,150 --> 00:13:09,760 I don't even know what you call it. 331 00:13:09,790 --> 00:13:11,480 Well, I do know what your technique is called, 332 00:13:11,480 --> 00:13:12,280 but you see what I'm saying? 333 00:13:12,280 --> 00:13:14,840 Like it doesn't go the right way until then. 334 00:13:14,840 --> 00:13:16,400 It's all an adventure from there. 335 00:13:16,740 --> 00:13:18,720 Yes. And then I'm following the paint, 336 00:13:18,910 --> 00:13:21,680 then I'm following it to see where it wants to go. 337 00:13:21,680 --> 00:13:23,040 So sometimes you're absolutely right, 338 00:13:23,040 --> 00:13:26,560 sometimes I can actually execute exactly what I'm looking for and 339 00:13:26,560 --> 00:13:29,360 sometimes I get to just see where the paint wants to 340 00:13:29,360 --> 00:13:30,280 go and follow it. 341 00:13:30,380 --> 00:13:33,480 And that does usually lead me to learning something new about 342 00:13:33,760 --> 00:13:36,400 how it works that I can then incorporate the next time. 343 00:13:36,550 --> 00:13:38,040 Yeah. Oh my gosh. 344 00:13:38,040 --> 00:13:41,480 Okay. So I'm thinking of our listeners and they're probably like, 345 00:13:41,670 --> 00:13:43,000 what does this look like? 346 00:13:43,000 --> 00:13:45,960 Like I have no idea what they're talking about. 347 00:13:45,960 --> 00:13:46,960 What does this look like? 348 00:13:46,960 --> 00:13:50,640 People can see an example over on your website, 349 00:13:50,640 --> 00:13:51,680 right? Yes. 350 00:13:51,750 --> 00:13:53,200 Canary art group.com. 351 00:13:53,470 --> 00:13:54,640 Okay. Yes. 352 00:13:54,640 --> 00:13:56,360 And we're gonna have all that in the show notes as 353 00:13:56,360 --> 00:13:57,640 everybody knows who listens. 354 00:13:57,640 --> 00:14:00,680 So you can go peek if you're somewhere right now and 355 00:14:00,680 --> 00:14:01,760 you're curious to see. 356 00:14:01,860 --> 00:14:07,600 But could you try and explain through audio Oh what your, 357 00:14:07,860 --> 00:14:08,680 see this is, 358 00:14:08,680 --> 00:14:10,280 I'll give you more than one chance if you have to, 359 00:14:11,460 --> 00:14:12,080 but like, 360 00:14:12,080 --> 00:14:15,360 because some of your art is, 361 00:14:15,360 --> 00:14:17,000 what did you call it in the beginning? 362 00:14:17,680 --> 00:14:18,960 Abstract Is abstract. 363 00:14:18,960 --> 00:14:20,120 That's the word I was looking for. 364 00:14:20,340 --> 00:14:24,120 But then some like I remember seeing some pieces that looked 365 00:14:24,120 --> 00:14:24,640 like flowers. 366 00:14:25,270 --> 00:14:26,520 It's still the same technique, 367 00:14:26,520 --> 00:14:29,160 but so you can actually make things that we relate to 368 00:14:29,160 --> 00:14:32,440 in real life that aren't just abstracts in your painting. 369 00:14:32,690 --> 00:14:34,240 Exactly. And that's new. 370 00:14:34,350 --> 00:14:38,840 That's that learning process going from totally abstract to this summer 371 00:14:38,910 --> 00:14:41,440 I really focused on can I make it look like a 372 00:14:41,440 --> 00:14:43,240 pedal if I breathe on it this way, 373 00:14:43,240 --> 00:14:44,000 can I do that? 374 00:14:44,000 --> 00:14:47,880 And really dove into like I made an entire botany collection 375 00:14:47,880 --> 00:14:51,240 with leaves and flowers and really enjoyed that that. 376 00:14:51,380 --> 00:14:52,040 But yeah, 377 00:14:52,040 --> 00:14:54,440 that's something that's new and I'm crazy about. 378 00:14:54,440 --> 00:14:55,560 I've enjoyed both. 379 00:14:55,760 --> 00:14:57,280 Right. Gives you options. 380 00:14:57,530 --> 00:14:58,840 Exactly. And I did. 381 00:14:59,290 --> 00:15:00,400 We love all the options. 382 00:15:00,800 --> 00:15:01,800 Love the options. 383 00:15:01,980 --> 00:15:02,560 All right, 384 00:15:02,610 --> 00:15:04,200 so this is so interesting. 385 00:15:04,200 --> 00:15:07,720 Have you taken Nicole out to lunch or dinner or done 386 00:15:07,720 --> 00:15:08,640 something as a thank you? 387 00:15:08,640 --> 00:15:09,760 Cuz she just like, 388 00:15:09,760 --> 00:15:11,960 she's the origin of this whole new business you have. 389 00:15:12,690 --> 00:15:15,520 OK. And the cheerleader because yes, 390 00:15:15,520 --> 00:15:18,480 my husband is amazing and supportive and I think that's integral 391 00:15:18,480 --> 00:15:19,200 to the business, 392 00:15:19,540 --> 00:15:22,800 but Nicole too is just still right there by this night 393 00:15:22,800 --> 00:15:23,440 going, why not? 394 00:15:23,440 --> 00:15:25,760 I'll come up with some crazy idea of a show that 395 00:15:25,760 --> 00:15:29,520 I wanna do or something that feels really like further reach 396 00:15:29,520 --> 00:15:30,840 beyond what I could do. 397 00:15:30,840 --> 00:15:31,240 And she's like, 398 00:15:31,240 --> 00:15:31,760 but why not? 399 00:15:31,760 --> 00:15:32,520 And it reminds me, 400 00:15:32,520 --> 00:15:33,560 but you've done all these things, 401 00:15:33,700 --> 00:15:34,880 why couldn't you do that? 402 00:15:34,930 --> 00:15:36,080 Oh good for Nicole. 403 00:15:36,450 --> 00:15:37,520 So important. 404 00:15:37,900 --> 00:15:40,480 Yes. So having cheerleaders really important. 405 00:15:40,810 --> 00:15:42,000 Oh you Have to. 406 00:15:42,290 --> 00:15:45,480 So you were starting to make these creations and seeing that 407 00:15:45,480 --> 00:15:49,640 you were enjoying the whole process and the huge added benefit 408 00:15:49,870 --> 00:15:52,280 that it got you to a point where you could even 409 00:15:52,280 --> 00:15:55,080 do that after all of the depression and all of that, 410 00:15:55,080 --> 00:15:57,800 which is totally warranted obviously. 411 00:15:58,090 --> 00:16:01,360 At what point then did you start thinking about Hmm. 412 00:16:01,670 --> 00:16:02,320 A business? 413 00:16:02,910 --> 00:16:07,040 Okay, so very quickly it kind of took off beyond what 414 00:16:07,040 --> 00:16:09,280 I ever imagined because cheerleader, 415 00:16:09,280 --> 00:16:10,960 Nicole, my best friend, 416 00:16:11,190 --> 00:16:15,000 looked at what I was making literally in April of 2017 417 00:16:15,000 --> 00:16:18,160 and said and started sending me emails with things I could 418 00:16:18,160 --> 00:16:20,920 enter, which at that point I thought, 419 00:16:20,920 --> 00:16:21,640 well why not? 420 00:16:21,640 --> 00:16:23,160 I really don't have anything to lose, 421 00:16:23,160 --> 00:16:25,080 which is not my normal personality. 422 00:16:25,150 --> 00:16:26,760 I am terribly risk adverse. 423 00:16:26,940 --> 00:16:30,880 But in this stage where you're already kind of low and 424 00:16:30,880 --> 00:16:32,800 down, it really did feel like, 425 00:16:32,800 --> 00:16:33,480 well, I mean, 426 00:16:33,550 --> 00:16:34,760 okay, well just give, 427 00:16:35,110 --> 00:16:36,280 What do I have to lose? 428 00:16:36,390 --> 00:16:37,240 Yeah, exactly. 429 00:16:37,650 --> 00:16:40,560 So one of the things that I entered was the Maow 430 00:16:40,560 --> 00:16:43,040 Run Artist series wine label contest. 431 00:16:43,340 --> 00:16:45,000 And so I started paying in April, 432 00:16:45,070 --> 00:16:49,000 I entered that in May and in July I got a 433 00:16:49,000 --> 00:16:50,160 call that I won. 434 00:16:50,610 --> 00:16:53,840 So you created the label for their wine? 435 00:16:54,900 --> 00:16:57,920 Yes. One of my paintings was a wine label. 436 00:16:57,930 --> 00:16:58,880 It was fantastic. 437 00:16:59,070 --> 00:17:01,520 Also in that short amount of time, 438 00:17:01,750 --> 00:17:04,160 I had a friend of a friend here that I was 439 00:17:04,320 --> 00:17:07,520 painting. She came over and saw what I was doing and 440 00:17:07,520 --> 00:17:11,920 then purchased two pieces to put in their house and that's 441 00:17:11,920 --> 00:17:13,480 all I knew about it at the time. 442 00:17:13,480 --> 00:17:15,520 Then a few weeks later she came back and she said, 443 00:17:15,520 --> 00:17:19,120 oh, I forgot to have you fill out this paperwork because 444 00:17:19,120 --> 00:17:21,960 they'll wanna have it in the show and I'll need you 445 00:17:21,960 --> 00:17:24,040 to have signed this paperwork so they can do that. 446 00:17:24,070 --> 00:17:24,720 They said, 447 00:17:24,720 --> 00:17:25,120 I'm sorry, 448 00:17:25,460 --> 00:17:29,200 the show they were actually building a tiny house that was 449 00:17:29,200 --> 00:17:31,160 being taped for hgtv. 450 00:17:32,210 --> 00:17:33,280 My gosh. 451 00:17:34,330 --> 00:17:38,080 So in the first month or two of painting, 452 00:17:38,250 --> 00:17:40,760 it was already gonna be on tv and it had already 453 00:17:40,760 --> 00:17:43,120 been one contest as an artist, 454 00:17:43,400 --> 00:17:47,680 which was insane to me that August they have a like 455 00:17:47,680 --> 00:17:50,400 a reveal of the wine label reveal of the painting. 456 00:17:50,750 --> 00:17:54,520 I had dinner in a vineyard with all of these people 457 00:17:54,650 --> 00:17:59,000 to celebrate me as an artist who started painting in April. 458 00:17:59,000 --> 00:17:59,920 This is now August. 459 00:18:00,330 --> 00:18:01,520 It was insane. 460 00:18:01,520 --> 00:18:06,080 Everything about it was surreal and that's how it took off 461 00:18:06,080 --> 00:18:09,200 because I was just hanging onto the back of it going, 462 00:18:09,230 --> 00:18:10,600 I wonder where we're going next. 463 00:18:10,830 --> 00:18:12,720 It's like that when you follow the paint. 464 00:18:12,830 --> 00:18:15,920 I was just sort of following and continuing to enter things 465 00:18:15,920 --> 00:18:19,600 and try things and tell people about this and the fact 466 00:18:19,600 --> 00:18:21,040 that art can help you heal. 467 00:18:21,430 --> 00:18:23,760 I really wanted to talk more about that. 468 00:18:23,760 --> 00:18:25,080 And that was the driving force. 469 00:18:25,080 --> 00:18:26,120 Like, let's try more. 470 00:18:26,120 --> 00:18:27,200 Let's reach more people. 471 00:18:27,200 --> 00:18:28,720 Let's tell more people about It. 472 00:18:28,990 --> 00:18:32,880 Yeah. So your mission is way more than your beautiful painting. 473 00:18:33,170 --> 00:18:33,720 Oh yeah. 474 00:18:33,910 --> 00:18:36,040 Okay. So I'm gonna ask you a really hard question. 475 00:18:36,230 --> 00:18:38,480 Okay. I bet you've never been asked this before, 476 00:18:38,480 --> 00:18:40,520 Mr. Okay. 477 00:18:40,790 --> 00:18:43,720 What do you think the attraction was like? 478 00:18:43,720 --> 00:18:46,360 Why do you think you won the wine label? 479 00:18:47,110 --> 00:18:50,400 I think when people connect with my paintings, 480 00:18:50,400 --> 00:18:51,480 and not everybody does, 481 00:18:51,630 --> 00:18:54,360 people are drawn to a lot of different types of art 482 00:18:54,360 --> 00:18:55,400 for a lot of different reasons. 483 00:18:55,400 --> 00:18:58,280 But the people who connect to my painting connect to them 484 00:18:58,290 --> 00:18:59,840 on such a deep level, 485 00:19:00,030 --> 00:19:05,760 they can see that I'm putting my emotions myself literally into 486 00:19:05,760 --> 00:19:07,960 the painting and they wanna talk about it. 487 00:19:08,350 --> 00:19:10,920 I have people come up and just tell me their life 488 00:19:10,920 --> 00:19:13,280 story because of what they've seen in a painting. 489 00:19:13,610 --> 00:19:17,360 So I really believe that's how it started was that deep, 490 00:19:17,360 --> 00:19:21,480 deep connection that people feel to the painting and then hopefully 491 00:19:21,770 --> 00:19:26,080 to me and they get a place to exist in that. 492 00:19:26,510 --> 00:19:30,520 Yeah. Is free of judgment and infinite chances exist. 493 00:19:31,150 --> 00:19:34,680 Yeah. And the rock technique that you use Yes. 494 00:19:34,990 --> 00:19:38,040 Does create such a different result. 495 00:19:38,060 --> 00:19:38,560 You know, 496 00:19:38,560 --> 00:19:39,640 when I saw you, 497 00:19:39,830 --> 00:19:43,040 I was attracted to your booth at a fine arts show 498 00:19:43,040 --> 00:19:44,000 here in my community, 499 00:19:44,000 --> 00:19:45,000 right? Yes. 500 00:19:45,100 --> 00:19:48,280 And I was attracted cuz I'm looking at them and it 501 00:19:48,280 --> 00:19:50,080 like drew me in. 502 00:19:50,580 --> 00:19:54,840 Yes. And I'm not an artist in that way at all, 503 00:19:54,840 --> 00:19:58,280 but there was something different about it and I just kept 504 00:19:58,280 --> 00:19:59,760 looking and I couldn't figure it out. 505 00:19:59,760 --> 00:20:02,440 And then when we started talking and you told me how 506 00:20:02,440 --> 00:20:03,080 you did it, 507 00:20:03,420 --> 00:20:06,320 I'm still in awe of the whole thing that you can 508 00:20:06,320 --> 00:20:06,560 do that. 509 00:20:06,560 --> 00:20:06,960 I mean, 510 00:20:07,030 --> 00:20:10,200 I knew that a brush couldn't give the qualities that are 511 00:20:10,400 --> 00:20:10,960 in your painting, 512 00:20:11,100 --> 00:20:14,760 but the fact that you are using air from your mouth 513 00:20:14,850 --> 00:20:17,680 to spread the paint and they're going to go where they 514 00:20:17,680 --> 00:20:19,760 may, it is just incredible. 515 00:20:20,090 --> 00:20:23,640 So this has nothing to do with your business journey kind 516 00:20:23,640 --> 00:20:24,680 of in a way it does, 517 00:20:24,680 --> 00:20:26,040 but not totally sure. 518 00:20:26,250 --> 00:20:28,760 It must take so much energy out of you to make 519 00:20:28,760 --> 00:20:29,160 a painting. 520 00:20:29,690 --> 00:20:31,080 It absolutely does, 521 00:20:31,080 --> 00:20:32,680 depending on the size of the painting. 522 00:20:32,680 --> 00:20:35,040 And the other thing is it's acrylic so it dries fast. 523 00:20:35,210 --> 00:20:37,840 So you kind of have to know where you think you're 524 00:20:37,840 --> 00:20:40,960 going and make a plan and have everything mixed and ready. 525 00:20:40,960 --> 00:20:43,160 So it's once you get to that, 526 00:20:43,160 --> 00:20:44,920 the actual physical part of it, 527 00:20:45,010 --> 00:20:49,760 it is exhausting in the best possible way because there are 528 00:20:49,760 --> 00:20:53,360 only two times when I am really laser focused and I 529 00:20:53,360 --> 00:20:55,920 don't have that tape running in the back of my head. 530 00:20:56,300 --> 00:20:59,000 I'm actually just doing the one thing and only thinking about 531 00:20:59,000 --> 00:20:59,520 the one thing. 532 00:20:59,540 --> 00:21:00,960 One of the reasons when I go to the movies, 533 00:21:00,960 --> 00:21:01,960 I think it's cuz I'm so visual, 534 00:21:02,020 --> 00:21:03,200 I'm stuck in that movie. 535 00:21:03,200 --> 00:21:04,960 And the other time is when I'm creating. 536 00:21:05,250 --> 00:21:08,760 So there will be times if it's a larger piece and 537 00:21:08,760 --> 00:21:12,480 I make really large paintings sometimes that I'll have to remember. 538 00:21:12,490 --> 00:21:13,560 Oh, inhaling. 539 00:21:13,560 --> 00:21:14,280 That's good too. 540 00:21:14,280 --> 00:21:15,960 You need to remember to do the whole breath, 541 00:21:15,960 --> 00:21:17,160 not just the exhale. 542 00:21:17,350 --> 00:21:19,960 Yeah. So it's very physical. 543 00:21:19,960 --> 00:21:21,320 Yeah. And it's wonderful. 544 00:21:21,320 --> 00:21:23,120 Wonderful for your body and your soul. 545 00:21:23,180 --> 00:21:23,680 All right. 546 00:21:23,680 --> 00:21:25,440 I just have to ask you this one more question then 547 00:21:25,440 --> 00:21:26,560 we're gonna get back on track. 548 00:21:27,740 --> 00:21:30,040 You promised to answer me honestly. 549 00:21:30,190 --> 00:21:31,720 Absolutely. Okay. 550 00:21:31,720 --> 00:21:34,560 Have you ever coughed or sneezed when you're creating? 551 00:21:35,030 --> 00:21:35,960 I have not. 552 00:21:36,390 --> 00:21:38,080 I imagine that it will come, 553 00:21:38,260 --> 00:21:40,360 but because I can make my own schedule. 554 00:21:40,450 --> 00:21:42,080 If I'm not feeling a hundred percent, 555 00:21:42,080 --> 00:21:43,520 maybe I wait till the next day. 556 00:21:43,950 --> 00:21:45,920 Well, but you never know what that would produce. 557 00:21:46,180 --> 00:21:47,200 You don't know. 558 00:21:47,200 --> 00:21:48,960 Yeah, it might be fantastic. 559 00:21:49,230 --> 00:21:51,880 Yeah, it came to mind. 560 00:21:51,880 --> 00:21:52,600 I had to know. 561 00:21:53,700 --> 00:21:54,240 All right, 562 00:21:54,250 --> 00:21:57,860 so you were seeing success right away. 563 00:21:58,410 --> 00:22:00,300 I call this validating your product. 564 00:22:00,410 --> 00:22:04,820 You're seeing that people are attracted and interested and either want 565 00:22:04,820 --> 00:22:05,540 for themselves, 566 00:22:05,830 --> 00:22:06,620 in your case, 567 00:22:06,670 --> 00:22:08,340 wanting it for a show, 568 00:22:08,690 --> 00:22:09,500 buying it, 569 00:22:09,500 --> 00:22:10,020 et cetera. 570 00:22:10,310 --> 00:22:14,460 So your product was validated before you'd officially even started a 571 00:22:14,620 --> 00:22:17,460 business, which is great because then you know that you've got 572 00:22:17,460 --> 00:22:18,140 something there. 573 00:22:18,140 --> 00:22:22,500 Yes. What were your next steps to start formalizing the business? 574 00:22:22,980 --> 00:22:26,300 Right. So we had run our own business for many years. 575 00:22:26,710 --> 00:22:27,460 So I am curious, 576 00:22:27,620 --> 00:22:28,540 what was that business? 577 00:22:28,870 --> 00:22:30,260 It was awnings and signs. 578 00:22:30,370 --> 00:22:31,260 Okay. All right. 579 00:22:31,260 --> 00:22:32,260 Just that's a side note. 580 00:22:32,260 --> 00:22:33,020 That's okay. 581 00:22:33,800 --> 00:22:36,420 But you already knew about business development? 582 00:22:36,610 --> 00:22:37,980 I knew about business development. 583 00:22:38,170 --> 00:22:41,020 Thankfully I knew about if I really turned it into a 584 00:22:41,180 --> 00:22:43,140 business that it wasn't gonna be a hobby anymore and that 585 00:22:43,140 --> 00:22:44,900 this was going to take a lot of work. 586 00:22:45,350 --> 00:22:47,300 So my first steps were, 587 00:22:47,730 --> 00:22:49,420 I actually looked for, 588 00:22:49,420 --> 00:22:50,500 and this is so important, 589 00:22:50,890 --> 00:22:54,460 I knew to look for the people whose job it is 590 00:22:54,710 --> 00:22:55,900 to help you to succeed. 591 00:22:56,080 --> 00:22:59,820 The people who literally have chosen for their job to want 592 00:22:59,820 --> 00:23:01,820 to help other people succeed. 593 00:23:01,820 --> 00:23:02,780 You're one of them. 594 00:23:02,790 --> 00:23:04,740 Exactly. Yeah. 595 00:23:04,920 --> 00:23:07,260 And You can find them at any level. 596 00:23:07,320 --> 00:23:10,460 One of the most important things I did was I applied 597 00:23:10,640 --> 00:23:11,460 our state, 598 00:23:11,460 --> 00:23:14,620 Indiana has the Indiana Arts Commission and they have a program 599 00:23:14,620 --> 00:23:15,540 called On Ramp. 600 00:23:15,920 --> 00:23:19,780 And it is a literally business training for creatives because I 601 00:23:19,780 --> 00:23:21,220 might know some of the business training, 602 00:23:21,220 --> 00:23:23,140 but I didn't know it as a creative. 603 00:23:23,360 --> 00:23:27,140 And so I applied the first year in 2017 and I 604 00:23:27,140 --> 00:23:27,580 didn't get it. 605 00:23:28,220 --> 00:23:31,580 And then I applied again in 2018 and got in. 606 00:23:31,580 --> 00:23:33,020 And that business training, 607 00:23:33,020 --> 00:23:35,300 that model and the people and meeting the people, 608 00:23:35,460 --> 00:23:40,020 again, people whose job they chose to do is to help 609 00:23:40,020 --> 00:23:40,660 you succeed. 610 00:23:41,070 --> 00:23:41,740 So important. 611 00:23:41,810 --> 00:23:44,300 I can't speak highly enough about the people and the process 612 00:23:44,320 --> 00:23:44,980 and having, 613 00:23:45,480 --> 00:23:47,240 there are more people who want you to succeed. 614 00:23:47,240 --> 00:23:48,040 They're more cheerleaders. 615 00:23:48,040 --> 00:23:50,520 They are people touch points where you can go when you 616 00:23:50,520 --> 00:23:51,040 have a question. 617 00:23:51,290 --> 00:23:52,640 So look for those people. 618 00:23:52,640 --> 00:23:53,960 Listen to your podcast. 619 00:23:54,500 --> 00:23:56,360 You can go to a state level or on a local 620 00:23:56,360 --> 00:23:59,080 level, the small business association in your town. 621 00:23:59,080 --> 00:24:01,720 They can give you demographics of where the people are. 622 00:24:01,720 --> 00:24:04,960 That might be your audience for your product. 623 00:24:05,190 --> 00:24:08,040 Yeah. And they're happy to help and they have training, 624 00:24:08,110 --> 00:24:09,840 free training all of the time. 625 00:24:09,840 --> 00:24:12,640 So those were the resources that I looked To. 626 00:24:12,670 --> 00:24:15,840 That's interesting that you did it that way given that you 627 00:24:15,840 --> 00:24:17,480 had already started a business before. 628 00:24:17,480 --> 00:24:18,920 Because the natural thing would be, 629 00:24:18,920 --> 00:24:19,520 I know what to do, 630 00:24:19,520 --> 00:24:20,320 I'm just gonna go in. 631 00:24:20,320 --> 00:24:23,240 But a maker business is different for sure. 632 00:24:23,710 --> 00:24:25,520 Absolutely. Okay. 633 00:24:25,520 --> 00:24:26,040 All right. 634 00:24:26,090 --> 00:24:30,200 So did you start by going out to shows? 635 00:24:30,710 --> 00:24:32,560 When did you create your name? 636 00:24:33,270 --> 00:24:35,640 Tell us about a little of the development part. 637 00:24:38,710 --> 00:24:41,520 I wanted to pause this discussion for a second to let 638 00:24:41,520 --> 00:24:45,600 you know that I recognize you may be feeling overwhelmed right 639 00:24:45,600 --> 00:24:47,000 now. I mean, 640 00:24:47,310 --> 00:24:50,560 I bring on great guests who are specialists in their fields 641 00:24:51,220 --> 00:24:55,720 and we get into fabulous conversations that you know can help 642 00:24:55,720 --> 00:24:56,680 grow your business. 643 00:24:57,450 --> 00:24:58,880 So after the show, 644 00:24:58,880 --> 00:25:01,520 you have the full intention of grabbing a download, 645 00:25:01,790 --> 00:25:06,160 making an adjustment on your website or any number of other 646 00:25:06,160 --> 00:25:08,800 ideas that arise as a result of this podcast. 647 00:25:09,700 --> 00:25:10,600 But what happens, 648 00:25:11,340 --> 00:25:14,680 you get back to your other activities and the momentum you 649 00:25:14,680 --> 00:25:16,200 once had gets lost. 650 00:25:16,670 --> 00:25:19,200 What you've planned to do is forgotten, 651 00:25:20,160 --> 00:25:22,970 then you feel bad because your business is going on as 652 00:25:22,970 --> 00:25:28,410 usual without implementing anything that you know would help grow your 653 00:25:28,610 --> 00:25:32,970 business. We're just too busy doing all the things like a 654 00:25:32,970 --> 00:25:37,610 robot moving from one thing to another without thinking because we 655 00:25:37,610 --> 00:25:38,050 have to. 656 00:25:38,980 --> 00:25:39,630 I get it, 657 00:25:39,700 --> 00:25:40,590 I've been there. 658 00:25:40,970 --> 00:25:41,910 But guess what? 659 00:25:42,190 --> 00:25:43,710 There is another way. 660 00:25:44,450 --> 00:25:48,530 Since I recognized this exact behavior in my own business, 661 00:25:48,960 --> 00:25:50,890 I set out to do something about it. 662 00:25:51,430 --> 00:25:53,330 And now what works for me, 663 00:25:53,430 --> 00:25:55,050 I'm sharing with you. 664 00:25:55,880 --> 00:26:00,530 I formalized the process and it's called the inspired daily planner, 665 00:26:00,880 --> 00:26:02,930 made specifically for gifters, 666 00:26:03,000 --> 00:26:04,650 bakers, crafters and makers. 667 00:26:05,470 --> 00:26:07,610 But it's not your ordinary planner. 668 00:26:08,330 --> 00:26:09,170 First off, 669 00:26:09,260 --> 00:26:12,770 it comes with a video explaining my productivity strategy. 670 00:26:13,440 --> 00:26:15,250 Plus it's not dated. 671 00:26:15,250 --> 00:26:18,770 So you can start using your planner the second it arrives 672 00:26:18,770 --> 00:26:19,610 at your doorstep. 673 00:26:20,110 --> 00:26:23,770 And that's not all included for each day is a motivational 674 00:26:23,770 --> 00:26:28,130 message or business building tip and plenty of space to capture 675 00:26:28,190 --> 00:26:30,290 and book in time for to-dos, 676 00:26:30,850 --> 00:26:35,290 schedule appointments and all those other ideas that are now getting 677 00:26:35,290 --> 00:26:38,850 lost. Think of it as a book and a planner all 678 00:26:38,850 --> 00:26:39,290 in one, 679 00:26:39,550 --> 00:26:43,840 yet compact enough to carry with you and resource as necessary. 680 00:26:44,700 --> 00:26:48,990 It's the perfect solution to truly act and move your business 681 00:26:48,990 --> 00:26:54,310 forward. Go to gift biz unwrapped.com/inspired 682 00:26:54,600 --> 00:26:58,430 to get your hard copy planner along with my power of 683 00:26:58,430 --> 00:27:02,150 purpose video that will set you on the path for true 684 00:27:02,750 --> 00:27:03,550 business growth. 685 00:27:04,210 --> 00:27:05,820 This makes a great gift too. 686 00:27:06,150 --> 00:27:07,820 So if you have a biz bestie, 687 00:27:07,890 --> 00:27:09,780 pick up a planner for them too. 688 00:27:10,090 --> 00:27:15,620 That link again is gift biz unwrapped.com/inspired. 689 00:27:16,210 --> 00:27:18,180 Okay, let's get back to the show. 690 00:27:18,810 --> 00:27:19,860 Okay. So yeah, 691 00:27:19,860 --> 00:27:21,140 when you start a business, 692 00:27:21,140 --> 00:27:21,940 you have to name it. 693 00:27:22,180 --> 00:27:23,260 And that was daunting. 694 00:27:24,000 --> 00:27:26,820 The label artist had been kind of given to me before 695 00:27:26,820 --> 00:27:28,020 I was ready to accept it. 696 00:27:28,080 --> 00:27:30,220 And I don't think that I was quite ready to just 697 00:27:30,220 --> 00:27:32,100 call it like Stephanie McNair Art. 698 00:27:32,450 --> 00:27:35,100 I felt like I need some sort of maybe a shield, 699 00:27:36,300 --> 00:27:37,340 something that was, 700 00:27:37,340 --> 00:27:38,260 could be me, 701 00:27:38,600 --> 00:27:40,420 but representative of me, 702 00:27:40,420 --> 00:27:41,580 not my actual name. 703 00:27:42,010 --> 00:27:42,660 I don't know why. 704 00:27:42,660 --> 00:27:44,020 It's just the way my brain worked. 705 00:27:44,020 --> 00:27:45,460 Cause You could have had your name easily, 706 00:27:45,490 --> 00:27:46,420 you're the artist. 707 00:27:47,090 --> 00:27:47,580 I could, 708 00:27:47,580 --> 00:27:48,620 yeah, that could have been it. 709 00:27:48,760 --> 00:27:53,220 But when I was thinking about taking chances and working it 710 00:27:53,220 --> 00:27:53,860 as a business, 711 00:27:54,130 --> 00:27:57,340 when I was thinking back about the steps that it took 712 00:27:57,340 --> 00:27:58,700 to even get to this part, 713 00:27:58,840 --> 00:28:01,260 and in years before I ever started painting, 714 00:28:01,260 --> 00:28:04,380 another friend had given me a book by Glen and Doyle 715 00:28:04,380 --> 00:28:05,220 called Love Warrior. 716 00:28:05,750 --> 00:28:06,540 In that book, 717 00:28:06,760 --> 00:28:08,460 the part that I highlighted, 718 00:28:08,520 --> 00:28:10,900 the stance that I highlighted was this. 719 00:28:10,900 --> 00:28:11,380 It says, 720 00:28:11,380 --> 00:28:12,220 because yes, 721 00:28:12,490 --> 00:28:13,940 I've got these conditions, 722 00:28:14,350 --> 00:28:15,860 anxiety, depression, 723 00:28:15,860 --> 00:28:17,620 addiction, and they almost killed me, 724 00:28:17,800 --> 00:28:19,700 but they're also my superpowers. 725 00:28:20,000 --> 00:28:23,140 I'm the canary in the mine and you need my sensitivity 726 00:28:23,270 --> 00:28:25,500 because I can smell toxins in the air. 727 00:28:25,600 --> 00:28:26,500 You can't smell, 728 00:28:26,720 --> 00:28:27,340 see trouble, 729 00:28:27,340 --> 00:28:29,220 you can't see and sense danger. 730 00:28:29,220 --> 00:28:31,860 You don't feel my sensitivity could save us all. 731 00:28:31,960 --> 00:28:35,460 And it was from that passage that I really understood more 732 00:28:35,460 --> 00:28:38,900 about myself and the type of person that I was born 733 00:28:38,910 --> 00:28:42,820 as. I'm just a really sensitive emotional person and was always 734 00:28:42,820 --> 00:28:45,900 told that that was wrong or bad or to like take 735 00:28:45,900 --> 00:28:48,540 it down a notch again. 736 00:28:48,540 --> 00:28:49,980 It was sort of that hiding part. 737 00:28:50,410 --> 00:28:54,060 That passage allowed me to see it as a superpower, 738 00:28:54,070 --> 00:28:55,180 as something different, 739 00:28:55,390 --> 00:28:56,780 as a positive. 740 00:28:57,160 --> 00:28:58,660 And I think years before, 741 00:28:58,720 --> 00:29:00,540 had I not read that passage, 742 00:29:00,810 --> 00:29:04,660 I would never have had the guts or the ability to 743 00:29:05,060 --> 00:29:07,900 accept that we get infinite chances and to try to make 744 00:29:07,900 --> 00:29:08,620 this a business. 745 00:29:08,990 --> 00:29:12,020 So I really wanted to honor that step that happened far 746 00:29:12,020 --> 00:29:14,180 before I even ever learned how to paint. 747 00:29:14,320 --> 00:29:16,580 And that's how Canary artwork got started. 748 00:29:17,110 --> 00:29:17,820 Oh my gosh, 749 00:29:17,820 --> 00:29:20,180 that is so interesting. 750 00:29:20,400 --> 00:29:22,180 And I love the result too, 751 00:29:22,180 --> 00:29:26,380 because Canary has so much meaning because of that passage. 752 00:29:26,430 --> 00:29:30,140 Exactly. And also your mission underneath the artwork, 753 00:29:30,480 --> 00:29:32,700 but you also have artwork in the title, 754 00:29:32,700 --> 00:29:36,860 which is good when you get into the business strategy perspective 755 00:29:36,920 --> 00:29:38,860 for SEO and all of that. 756 00:29:39,030 --> 00:29:42,440 Exactly. You need to know what I'm making in the business 757 00:29:42,440 --> 00:29:43,800 name. Right. 758 00:29:43,800 --> 00:29:47,440 But I think this is food for thought for people who 759 00:29:47,440 --> 00:29:48,600 are at the juncture, 760 00:29:48,600 --> 00:29:51,560 where they're thinking about their business name is to take it 761 00:29:51,560 --> 00:29:53,920 in the angle of what's gotten you here, 762 00:29:54,710 --> 00:29:58,760 what in your soul is important and is there an angle 763 00:29:58,760 --> 00:30:00,720 to incorporate that into your name? 764 00:30:00,720 --> 00:30:02,200 It's something to think about for sure. 765 00:30:02,310 --> 00:30:04,880 Absolutely. Cause every time I hear it, 766 00:30:04,880 --> 00:30:07,960 I'm reminded of the reason I wanna continue to do this. 767 00:30:08,190 --> 00:30:10,680 It's very helpful to have that right in the name. 768 00:30:10,910 --> 00:30:11,760 Okay. All right. 769 00:30:11,760 --> 00:30:14,920 And then did you establish the business as sole proprietor, 770 00:30:15,200 --> 00:30:17,040 llc? What did you do right away? 771 00:30:17,270 --> 00:30:18,240 Sole Proprietor. 772 00:30:18,470 --> 00:30:20,320 Okay. And That's something, 773 00:30:20,320 --> 00:30:21,920 the business training that we went through, 774 00:30:21,920 --> 00:30:23,080 what is gonna work best. 775 00:30:23,080 --> 00:30:24,760 And while I thought I had a handle on it, 776 00:30:24,760 --> 00:30:27,120 it's really nice to have somebody who knows exactly what they're 777 00:30:27,120 --> 00:30:27,520 talking about, 778 00:30:27,630 --> 00:30:29,120 walk you through the different options. 779 00:30:29,380 --> 00:30:30,960 But right now I'm a sole proprietor. 780 00:30:31,030 --> 00:30:31,920 Okay. All right. 781 00:30:31,920 --> 00:30:35,240 Perfect. And now still in this naming stage, 782 00:30:35,500 --> 00:30:37,760 yes. You created a whole process. 783 00:30:38,380 --> 00:30:39,840 You named the process, 784 00:30:40,360 --> 00:30:43,080 which I love that so much. 785 00:30:43,080 --> 00:30:45,480 Anybody who has something that's unique to your product, 786 00:30:45,920 --> 00:30:49,240 title it so you can claim it as yours. 787 00:30:49,330 --> 00:30:51,320 It makes you different for sure. 788 00:30:51,620 --> 00:30:53,200 How did this all come about, 789 00:30:53,500 --> 00:30:54,640 The naming of the process? 790 00:30:55,870 --> 00:30:58,960 Okay, so I was doing this and like we talked about 791 00:30:58,960 --> 00:31:02,000 earlier, there are certain words that, 792 00:31:02,030 --> 00:31:04,560 like I now call it painted with breath. 793 00:31:04,710 --> 00:31:07,160 I usually have to show somebody a picture of me doing 794 00:31:07,160 --> 00:31:10,200 it to really explain the process or make it easier for 795 00:31:10,200 --> 00:31:10,960 people to understand. 796 00:31:11,520 --> 00:31:14,280 But when you're thinking about naming a process like this, 797 00:31:14,300 --> 00:31:14,960 you don't, 798 00:31:14,960 --> 00:31:16,000 there are words you wanna avoid. 799 00:31:16,000 --> 00:31:17,400 You don't wanna use the word blow, 800 00:31:17,460 --> 00:31:19,040 you don't want the, 801 00:31:19,380 --> 00:31:19,880 you know, 802 00:31:19,880 --> 00:31:22,520 things like that just aren't a great idea. 803 00:31:22,570 --> 00:31:25,080 So it was really difficult and I was really spending a 804 00:31:25,080 --> 00:31:25,480 lot of time, 805 00:31:25,480 --> 00:31:26,840 how do I call it, 806 00:31:26,840 --> 00:31:28,000 to really explain it. 807 00:31:28,140 --> 00:31:31,200 And I was talking with somebody who has a background in 808 00:31:31,200 --> 00:31:32,920 Hebrew languages and they were like, 809 00:31:32,920 --> 00:31:34,760 it sounds to me like it's like ruak, 810 00:31:34,760 --> 00:31:35,680 like breath of life. 811 00:31:35,680 --> 00:31:36,200 And I was like, 812 00:31:36,270 --> 00:31:37,080 that's it. 813 00:31:37,080 --> 00:31:37,800 That's it. 814 00:31:37,800 --> 00:31:38,600 Breath of life. 815 00:31:38,750 --> 00:31:39,840 That is what I'm doing. 816 00:31:40,180 --> 00:31:41,560 I'm taking that breath, 817 00:31:41,920 --> 00:31:44,880 that God given breath that exists in your belly. 818 00:31:45,540 --> 00:31:49,480 And I'm using that to take my emotions out and onto 819 00:31:49,480 --> 00:31:51,080 the canvas to share with everybody. 820 00:31:51,190 --> 00:31:53,680 It's a really vulnerable place to be. 821 00:31:54,100 --> 00:31:57,560 But that ruok technique was born from that place. 822 00:31:58,150 --> 00:31:59,120 That is amazing. 823 00:31:59,380 --> 00:32:01,840 And I'm so glad that you talked to that person because 824 00:32:01,840 --> 00:32:03,840 you would've named it something totally different. 825 00:32:03,840 --> 00:32:04,960 Yeah, I think again, 826 00:32:04,960 --> 00:32:05,600 that was a Gift. 827 00:32:05,790 --> 00:32:07,240 Yeah, it was another gift. 828 00:32:07,580 --> 00:32:09,280 Yes, I'm on the right track. 829 00:32:09,280 --> 00:32:12,920 People are coming alongside in ways that I had never even 830 00:32:13,230 --> 00:32:15,480 imagined. It's that validation, 831 00:32:15,480 --> 00:32:18,400 that continued validation that this is the right track. 832 00:32:18,400 --> 00:32:19,960 I'm supposed to be doing this. 833 00:32:20,400 --> 00:32:23,800 Right. But you also were willing to share Oh Yeah. 834 00:32:23,930 --> 00:32:26,280 In that is a level of vulnerability. 835 00:32:26,310 --> 00:32:27,160 Yeah. Right. 836 00:32:27,190 --> 00:32:31,400 Especially for makers cuz we are actually creating what we're selling. 837 00:32:31,690 --> 00:32:34,800 Exactly. And this is a great example of just, 838 00:32:34,800 --> 00:32:36,400 there's so much goodness in sharing. 839 00:32:36,760 --> 00:32:37,560 First off, 840 00:32:37,560 --> 00:32:38,600 you can find new customers, 841 00:32:38,600 --> 00:32:39,880 the word word can be spread. 842 00:32:39,880 --> 00:32:40,600 But then here, 843 00:32:40,710 --> 00:32:44,200 like an example of naming and defining, 844 00:32:44,380 --> 00:32:44,880 you know, 845 00:32:44,880 --> 00:32:45,520 breadth of life. 846 00:32:45,520 --> 00:32:47,440 Like that's exactly the whole thing, 847 00:32:47,440 --> 00:32:50,320 right? It sums it all up beautifully. 848 00:32:50,740 --> 00:32:51,280 All right. 849 00:32:51,280 --> 00:32:53,440 And so you had initial success. 850 00:32:53,500 --> 00:32:56,200 Now how did you start expanding the business? 851 00:32:56,690 --> 00:32:58,640 It was the same process. 852 00:32:58,830 --> 00:33:01,720 Just more of it applying to more shows, 853 00:33:01,810 --> 00:33:03,120 telling more people. 854 00:33:03,570 --> 00:33:06,560 It took a couple years before I was ready to do 855 00:33:06,560 --> 00:33:10,320 like a fine art fair because there's expense in getting, 856 00:33:10,620 --> 00:33:13,280 you have to have something to take your paintings to different 857 00:33:13,280 --> 00:33:14,920 cities. You have to buy a tent, 858 00:33:14,920 --> 00:33:16,680 you have to buy the walls to put up. 859 00:33:16,950 --> 00:33:19,720 I was lucky enough to be able to borrow some of 860 00:33:19,720 --> 00:33:20,880 those things at the beginning. 861 00:33:20,950 --> 00:33:23,280 That was certainly extraordinarily helpful. 862 00:33:23,660 --> 00:33:27,080 But the idea of taking it out and selling it was 863 00:33:27,080 --> 00:33:30,800 a process from exhibiting it to now how do I make 864 00:33:30,800 --> 00:33:32,440 this? How do I scale this up? 865 00:33:32,440 --> 00:33:33,800 And the one I saw you at, 866 00:33:33,800 --> 00:33:35,880 you had to be approved to even exhibit. 867 00:33:35,880 --> 00:33:38,360 It's not like you could just pay money and be there. 868 00:33:38,630 --> 00:33:40,360 Your work had to pass the mustard, 869 00:33:40,450 --> 00:33:41,120 if you will, 870 00:33:41,330 --> 00:33:42,960 to be Yeah, 871 00:33:42,960 --> 00:33:45,760 exactly. The shows that I do are all juried shows. 872 00:33:46,410 --> 00:33:47,760 Ok, so that's all You're doing? 873 00:33:47,760 --> 00:33:48,560 That's all I'm doing. 874 00:33:48,770 --> 00:33:53,280 So you've positioned your pieces at the higher tier fine arts 875 00:33:53,350 --> 00:33:54,200 juried shows. 876 00:33:54,580 --> 00:33:55,560 Yep, absolutely. 877 00:33:55,690 --> 00:33:56,680 So you're applying, 878 00:33:56,680 --> 00:33:56,960 you know, 879 00:33:56,960 --> 00:34:01,080 six months before the show you're spending money to apply and 880 00:34:01,080 --> 00:34:04,080 then you're spending hundreds of thousands of dollars to be there. 881 00:34:04,670 --> 00:34:08,320 I had to get the whole business marketing and process down 882 00:34:08,320 --> 00:34:09,960 to what can I afford to do this year? 883 00:34:10,560 --> 00:34:11,600 What is this gonna bring? 884 00:34:11,600 --> 00:34:13,320 How is this a benefit to the business? 885 00:34:13,540 --> 00:34:15,200 And it was just slow over time. 886 00:34:15,200 --> 00:34:18,720 And then C happened and everything just sort of shut down. 887 00:34:18,720 --> 00:34:20,640 And for me it was just a waiting game. 888 00:34:21,160 --> 00:34:24,360 I was one of those people who lost all creativity and 889 00:34:24,620 --> 00:34:26,240 the ability to think things through. 890 00:34:26,240 --> 00:34:28,920 So there was some pause right there and I'm glad that 891 00:34:28,920 --> 00:34:31,200 I was able to just pause that part of my life 892 00:34:31,200 --> 00:34:31,880 for a little while. 893 00:34:32,060 --> 00:34:34,920 But there wasn't a business benefit to that for me. 894 00:34:35,370 --> 00:34:38,960 So there was slow and steady adding the things that I 895 00:34:38,960 --> 00:34:41,800 needed to get to the places where I could find people 896 00:34:41,940 --> 00:34:43,480 who wanted to buy my product. 897 00:34:44,190 --> 00:34:47,280 Okay. And so with the shows now, 898 00:34:47,490 --> 00:34:48,880 do you do shows year round? 899 00:34:49,370 --> 00:34:52,480 No. And that is something that is also, 900 00:34:52,790 --> 00:34:53,760 it's not new, 901 00:34:53,820 --> 00:34:56,800 but me getting rid of that rule that you have to 902 00:34:56,800 --> 00:34:59,680 do them year round or that you have to create every 903 00:34:59,680 --> 00:35:01,800 day. There are a lot of people that tell you that 904 00:35:01,800 --> 00:35:03,600 to stay on top you have to be doing it every 905 00:35:03,600 --> 00:35:05,840 day. And while that works for some people, 906 00:35:05,840 --> 00:35:08,400 what I finally figured out this year for me is that 907 00:35:08,430 --> 00:35:11,720 I work outside because I make such a huge mess with 908 00:35:11,720 --> 00:35:12,400 these paintings. 909 00:35:12,610 --> 00:35:13,640 So I only work, 910 00:35:13,670 --> 00:35:15,120 I've decided this year, 911 00:35:15,340 --> 00:35:18,120 but I work from April to October painting. 912 00:35:18,300 --> 00:35:21,120 And then the other way that I'm creative is I write, 913 00:35:21,590 --> 00:35:24,040 this is the first year I've actually put away all of 914 00:35:24,040 --> 00:35:25,520 the paints and set them aside. 915 00:35:25,580 --> 00:35:29,040 And so then from October to April I will be writing 916 00:35:29,340 --> 00:35:30,920 and being creative that Way. 917 00:35:31,230 --> 00:35:33,840 Okay. This is coming out of left field writing. 918 00:35:33,840 --> 00:35:34,760 What are you writing? 919 00:35:35,210 --> 00:35:36,600 It came out of left field for me too. 920 00:35:37,940 --> 00:35:41,480 I'm a big proponent of running a business is so incredibly 921 00:35:41,480 --> 00:35:45,600 draining and wonderful and daunting that take little breaks. 922 00:35:45,650 --> 00:35:47,520 So one of the things I got to do as an 923 00:35:47,520 --> 00:35:51,080 artist, we call them artist residencies and there are different purposes 924 00:35:51,080 --> 00:35:51,440 to them, 925 00:35:51,500 --> 00:35:54,200 but I and an artist friend went to Paris, 926 00:35:54,600 --> 00:35:58,680 Tennessee in February and we talked about in the how I 927 00:35:58,680 --> 00:35:59,760 named Canary artwork, 928 00:35:59,760 --> 00:36:01,640 that quote starts with anxiety, 929 00:36:01,640 --> 00:36:02,680 depression, and addiction. 930 00:36:02,910 --> 00:36:05,280 When I got to this residency where I thought I was 931 00:36:05,280 --> 00:36:05,840 going to paint, 932 00:36:06,030 --> 00:36:09,040 what I ended up doing was writing those stories. 933 00:36:09,590 --> 00:36:13,120 I needed to have them live somewhere else than inside of 934 00:36:13,120 --> 00:36:16,440 me. And it needed to be even more intimate than the 935 00:36:16,560 --> 00:36:20,640 paintings I really needed to have them just exist somewhere else. 936 00:36:20,890 --> 00:36:22,360 So that's what I've been doing. 937 00:36:22,590 --> 00:36:24,680 I think I've got 12 full chapters. 938 00:36:24,680 --> 00:36:27,320 So I guess what I'm doing is writing a memoir I 939 00:36:27,320 --> 00:36:28,120 didn't set out to, 940 00:36:28,120 --> 00:36:29,600 but I think that's what it's gonna be. 941 00:36:29,860 --> 00:36:34,040 And actually just very recently I got accepted to, 942 00:36:34,710 --> 00:36:36,440 I can't pronounce French words, 943 00:36:36,680 --> 00:36:39,200 but it is a residency in France. 944 00:36:39,390 --> 00:36:42,800 I will be there for all of March in 2023, 945 00:36:42,800 --> 00:36:45,600 which will give me enough time to then finish and I 946 00:36:45,600 --> 00:36:48,280 will have a memoir and I have no idea what will 947 00:36:48,280 --> 00:36:49,080 then happen with it. 948 00:36:49,080 --> 00:36:50,920 Maybe it's just for me to get it out. 949 00:36:50,960 --> 00:36:54,160 Maybe we will go on to see it published or self-published, 950 00:36:54,160 --> 00:36:54,600 I don't know. 951 00:36:54,600 --> 00:36:57,720 But isn't that exciting that you can do things that you 952 00:36:57,720 --> 00:36:58,960 dunno what's gonna happen. 953 00:36:59,320 --> 00:37:00,160 Where are you? 954 00:37:00,160 --> 00:37:01,040 Where are you gonna be in France? 955 00:37:01,390 --> 00:37:02,360 I will be in, 956 00:37:02,360 --> 00:37:04,440 it's an hour south of Paris. 957 00:37:05,020 --> 00:37:08,440 And if I really need to work on Frenching Asians, 958 00:37:08,440 --> 00:37:09,640 cuz I can't even tell you exactly, 959 00:37:09,640 --> 00:37:11,680 it's Maren. 960 00:37:11,680 --> 00:37:14,600 So it's right on the river but Hour South. 961 00:37:14,710 --> 00:37:18,160 Okay. So after this I'm gonna give you some information. 962 00:37:18,390 --> 00:37:22,200 I have a very dear friend who lives in France. 963 00:37:22,420 --> 00:37:25,320 Her husband is a huge art fan. 964 00:37:25,320 --> 00:37:27,280 Like he knows everything about art. 965 00:37:27,280 --> 00:37:30,120 They used to do tours and he was an art specialist. 966 00:37:30,740 --> 00:37:32,080 Wow. There's something there. 967 00:37:32,080 --> 00:37:33,520 She now does French tours. 968 00:37:33,620 --> 00:37:34,680 But I'll tell you, 969 00:37:34,680 --> 00:37:36,200 Pam, if you're listening to this podcast, 970 00:37:36,540 --> 00:37:38,280 you and Stephanie have to talk. 971 00:37:38,870 --> 00:37:40,840 I'll tell you all about that afterwards. 972 00:37:41,060 --> 00:37:41,920 But oh my gosh. 973 00:37:42,210 --> 00:37:42,960 Ok, real quick. 974 00:37:42,960 --> 00:37:45,280 This is a perfect example of that. 975 00:37:45,280 --> 00:37:46,240 You're on the right track. 976 00:37:46,390 --> 00:37:48,520 Yeah, I didn't know that I was gonna talk about that. 977 00:37:48,520 --> 00:37:50,840 But talking about that in the flow of the conversation and 978 00:37:50,840 --> 00:37:53,480 having that you have somebody for me to be contacted with 979 00:37:53,480 --> 00:37:54,400 that is another. 980 00:37:54,400 --> 00:37:55,960 Like you're on the right track. 981 00:37:55,960 --> 00:37:57,160 Isn't that fantastic? 982 00:37:57,390 --> 00:37:59,320 Yeah. And They come every time. 983 00:37:59,320 --> 00:38:02,080 And acknowledging those little moments is really, 984 00:38:02,080 --> 00:38:02,880 really important. 985 00:38:02,890 --> 00:38:04,280 So thank you so much. 986 00:38:04,790 --> 00:38:05,840 Well thank you. 987 00:38:05,840 --> 00:38:06,320 It's just, 988 00:38:06,320 --> 00:38:07,080 it's so exciting. 989 00:38:07,080 --> 00:38:09,040 Like I love how when things like this happen, 990 00:38:09,100 --> 00:38:10,880 you feel like there's a reason. 991 00:38:10,930 --> 00:38:12,280 It just like is crazy. 992 00:38:12,590 --> 00:38:15,960 Okay. So this is an interesting concept too because again, 993 00:38:16,140 --> 00:38:19,960 you are not doing what seems to be the way, 994 00:38:21,080 --> 00:38:24,800 right? You're doing what's right for you by doing your, 995 00:38:25,180 --> 00:38:26,280 I'm calling it painting, 996 00:38:26,280 --> 00:38:28,240 but we all know at this point it's not painting. 997 00:38:28,720 --> 00:38:31,640 Okay? But you're doing your artwork for a portion of the 998 00:38:31,640 --> 00:38:35,680 year and now you found another creative avenue for the other 999 00:38:35,680 --> 00:38:36,720 portion of the year, 1000 00:38:36,720 --> 00:38:37,520 which is writing. 1001 00:38:37,940 --> 00:38:42,520 But all of that sits still under that same umbrella about 1002 00:38:42,710 --> 00:38:49,600 your mood and depression and mindset and internal feelings and creating 1003 00:38:49,600 --> 00:38:50,800 something. Yes. 1004 00:38:50,800 --> 00:38:53,800 And that's why we really need to make sure that people 1005 00:38:53,800 --> 00:38:55,720 understand all of that. 1006 00:38:55,720 --> 00:38:57,520 The depression and the moods and everything. 1007 00:38:57,700 --> 00:39:00,080 Art and any type of creativity. 1008 00:39:00,080 --> 00:39:01,800 Because as soon as I say art, 1009 00:39:01,800 --> 00:39:02,480 people say, 1010 00:39:02,480 --> 00:39:03,320 well I'm not an artist. 1011 00:39:03,430 --> 00:39:05,080 Well neither was I, 1012 00:39:05,620 --> 00:39:08,080 but I guarantee you that there is some way in your 1013 00:39:08,080 --> 00:39:09,080 life that you are creative. 1014 00:39:09,080 --> 00:39:11,720 So let's use the word creative time. 1015 00:39:11,720 --> 00:39:13,080 You use your creativity, 1016 00:39:13,490 --> 00:39:16,560 it engages a different part of your brain and it can 1017 00:39:16,560 --> 00:39:21,040 absolutely heal and help make better those things that you deal 1018 00:39:21,040 --> 00:39:24,720 with, whether it's anxiety or depression because you get to be 1019 00:39:24,720 --> 00:39:25,240 in flow, 1020 00:39:25,590 --> 00:39:29,360 even if you're just coloring a coloring book or maybe the 1021 00:39:29,360 --> 00:39:31,520 way that you're creative is organizing your closet. 1022 00:39:31,700 --> 00:39:32,200 You know, 1023 00:39:32,200 --> 00:39:36,640 there are millions of ways to be creative and anytime you 1024 00:39:36,640 --> 00:39:37,880 use that creativity, 1025 00:39:38,210 --> 00:39:39,160 it is healing. 1026 00:39:39,490 --> 00:39:41,400 It has been proven scientifically. 1027 00:39:41,410 --> 00:39:42,240 It is healing. 1028 00:39:42,690 --> 00:39:44,320 So set sign a little time, 1029 00:39:44,320 --> 00:39:45,400 even if you feel silly. 1030 00:39:45,400 --> 00:39:48,800 Can you imagine how silly I felt trying to paint not 1031 00:39:48,800 --> 00:39:51,520 being a painter And you didn't even wanna do it, 1032 00:39:51,520 --> 00:39:54,160 you were just doing it so Nicole would stop asking you 1033 00:39:54,160 --> 00:39:55,000 and telling you. 1034 00:39:55,260 --> 00:39:56,560 Yes, exactly. 1035 00:39:56,660 --> 00:39:57,880 But I'm telling you, 1036 00:39:57,880 --> 00:40:00,400 it has changed everything about my life. 1037 00:40:00,590 --> 00:40:02,120 Everything. It's amazing. 1038 00:40:02,190 --> 00:40:03,640 Lean into that creativity, 1039 00:40:03,980 --> 00:40:04,880 art heals, 1040 00:40:04,880 --> 00:40:06,080 creativity heals. 1041 00:40:06,080 --> 00:40:08,040 It has the power to change your mood. 1042 00:40:08,050 --> 00:40:10,120 It has the power to connect you to other people. 1043 00:40:10,470 --> 00:40:13,480 I can't speak highly enough of just that idea of dive 1044 00:40:13,480 --> 00:40:15,200 into your creativity for a little bit. 1045 00:40:15,520 --> 00:40:17,000 Set aside a few minutes here or there, 1046 00:40:17,200 --> 00:40:19,640 whatever you can spare the rewards you reap from it. 1047 00:40:19,660 --> 00:40:23,680 The benefits so outweigh that little amount of time that you 1048 00:40:23,680 --> 00:40:24,400 can put into it. 1049 00:40:24,400 --> 00:40:25,680 If that's all you got more. 1050 00:40:25,680 --> 00:40:27,120 If you can't Love it. 1051 00:40:27,120 --> 00:40:27,680 Oh my gosh. 1052 00:40:27,680 --> 00:40:28,360 Love, love, 1053 00:40:28,360 --> 00:40:28,840 love that. 1054 00:40:29,190 --> 00:40:32,000 I almost wish we would've talked about something else earlier cuz 1055 00:40:32,000 --> 00:40:33,600 this would've been a great way to end. 1056 00:40:33,930 --> 00:40:34,480 Oh yeah. 1057 00:40:34,900 --> 00:40:37,920 But I can't cuz I have question for you. 1058 00:40:38,280 --> 00:40:39,320 Let's, let's go. 1059 00:40:39,610 --> 00:40:43,360 Ok. At what point then did you put your website up? 1060 00:40:43,360 --> 00:40:43,880 You know, 1061 00:40:43,880 --> 00:40:45,240 all of the online presence? 1062 00:40:45,240 --> 00:40:48,070 How does that Yes. 1063 00:40:48,360 --> 00:40:50,710 So the website went up too soon. 1064 00:40:51,180 --> 00:40:52,470 Here's what I would tell You. 1065 00:40:52,470 --> 00:40:53,350 Oh that's interesting. 1066 00:40:53,350 --> 00:40:53,950 Okay. Yes. 1067 00:40:53,950 --> 00:40:58,350 Because I had such immediate success and people kept asking me 1068 00:40:58,350 --> 00:40:59,150 to see my work, 1069 00:40:59,150 --> 00:40:59,550 I thought, 1070 00:40:59,550 --> 00:41:00,750 I've gotta get this website up. 1071 00:41:00,860 --> 00:41:02,630 I went ahead and I paid it. 1072 00:41:02,630 --> 00:41:04,350 It's not so it's not a talent of mine. 1073 00:41:05,660 --> 00:41:06,470 That's ok. 1074 00:41:06,470 --> 00:41:07,710 You be talented in everything. 1075 00:41:07,770 --> 00:41:08,590 Yes, exactly. 1076 00:41:09,130 --> 00:41:10,030 And if you're, 1077 00:41:10,030 --> 00:41:11,630 you can't focus and do it all. 1078 00:41:11,740 --> 00:41:12,710 Well anyway. 1079 00:41:12,840 --> 00:41:16,270 Exactly. So this is one of the things that I did. 1080 00:41:16,500 --> 00:41:18,430 I rushed headfirst into it. 1081 00:41:18,540 --> 00:41:21,710 I paid some people to help me make a website that 1082 00:41:21,710 --> 00:41:23,470 I was never comfortable with. 1083 00:41:23,650 --> 00:41:24,710 Cuz I didn't know, 1084 00:41:24,720 --> 00:41:26,270 am I gonna sell on a website? 1085 00:41:26,270 --> 00:41:27,510 Am I gonna use it for this? 1086 00:41:27,580 --> 00:41:31,670 I didn't understand what I needed it for other than I 1087 00:41:31,670 --> 00:41:32,750 just wanna show people my art. 1088 00:41:33,060 --> 00:41:34,840 And so the people that I worked with, 1089 00:41:34,840 --> 00:41:36,720 and they were well intentioned, 1090 00:41:36,720 --> 00:41:39,080 but the people I worked with took it a whole different 1091 00:41:39,080 --> 00:41:41,480 direction. Whereas if you see it now, 1092 00:41:41,820 --> 00:41:44,080 and also keep in mind that I am doing it now, 1093 00:41:44,080 --> 00:41:45,000 so please be kind. 1094 00:41:46,060 --> 00:41:47,120 I'm still working it out. 1095 00:41:47,120 --> 00:41:48,880 But so a couple years later, 1096 00:41:49,170 --> 00:41:51,920 so I started it and just wasn't happy with it ever. 1097 00:41:51,920 --> 00:41:53,600 Like I just wasn't happy with it. 1098 00:41:53,600 --> 00:41:55,800 But one of the benefits of going to that on ramp 1099 00:41:55,800 --> 00:41:57,800 program was it was also a fellowship. 1100 00:41:57,890 --> 00:42:00,040 So there was a possibility of a grant at the end. 1101 00:42:00,260 --> 00:42:02,800 You had to apply for it and do the work. 1102 00:42:02,820 --> 00:42:05,360 But that's when I got a substantial grant and was able 1103 00:42:05,360 --> 00:42:08,760 to work with somebody else to make a website the bare 1104 00:42:08,760 --> 00:42:11,320 bones of the website that I was really proud of that 1105 00:42:11,320 --> 00:42:14,320 had focus and that I knew what I needed for it. 1106 00:42:14,630 --> 00:42:15,840 Then she taught me, 1107 00:42:15,870 --> 00:42:18,080 I have the ability to put up the paintings and do 1108 00:42:18,080 --> 00:42:19,600 that every time I put up a new painting. 1109 00:42:19,600 --> 00:42:22,960 I'm just so proud of myself that I just couldn't do 1110 00:42:22,960 --> 00:42:26,240 a little happy dance like you Do because it's online now 1111 00:42:26,240 --> 00:42:27,120 or because of the painting. 1112 00:42:27,870 --> 00:42:29,520 Yeah, because it's, 1113 00:42:29,630 --> 00:42:32,720 I have the ability to change some of the parts. 1114 00:42:33,030 --> 00:42:35,920 Well and need to because each of your paintings is unique. 1115 00:42:35,920 --> 00:42:36,880 So if it sells, 1116 00:42:36,880 --> 00:42:38,520 Absolutely It's gotta go. 1117 00:42:38,650 --> 00:42:39,720 No one else can buy it. 1118 00:42:39,860 --> 00:42:40,880 You can see there, 1119 00:42:40,880 --> 00:42:41,920 it just gets marked sold. 1120 00:42:42,360 --> 00:42:43,880 But I can do it myself. 1121 00:42:44,500 --> 00:42:47,320 And then that keeps a portfolio of all of your different 1122 00:42:47,480 --> 00:42:48,080 Paintings. Right? 1123 00:42:48,080 --> 00:42:51,360 Exactly. And I treat it more like a portfolio now because 1124 00:42:51,430 --> 00:42:55,120 I realized if I'm doing the high end markets, 1125 00:42:55,550 --> 00:42:58,720 they rarely sell online and I'm okay with that. 1126 00:42:58,780 --> 00:43:01,560 But I need to have something that I send people to 1127 00:43:01,560 --> 00:43:02,880 so they can see what I'm doing. 1128 00:43:02,920 --> 00:43:06,080 Right. So that's the purpose of the website now is to 1129 00:43:06,080 --> 00:43:07,840 have a place where you can come talk to me, 1130 00:43:07,840 --> 00:43:08,960 contact me on there. 1131 00:43:09,070 --> 00:43:11,280 I love to talk to people about what I do. 1132 00:43:11,290 --> 00:43:11,960 As you can tell, 1133 00:43:12,310 --> 00:43:13,920 please contact me. 1134 00:43:13,920 --> 00:43:16,480 And then you can see sort of the evolution of my 1135 00:43:16,600 --> 00:43:19,480 painting and a little bit of kind of where it's come 1136 00:43:19,480 --> 00:43:20,800 from. What I love to do, 1137 00:43:20,800 --> 00:43:21,560 where it's going. 1138 00:43:21,710 --> 00:43:23,520 Yeah. What platform is it on? 1139 00:43:23,730 --> 00:43:25,160 It is on WordPress. 1140 00:43:25,630 --> 00:43:27,240 Okay, so it's your very own. 1141 00:43:27,240 --> 00:43:28,640 Yeah. That's the harder way to go. 1142 00:43:28,640 --> 00:43:30,960 But you have way more flexibility with everything that way. 1143 00:43:31,170 --> 00:43:33,320 Exactly as I'm learning. 1144 00:43:33,380 --> 00:43:36,000 And one of the things that I'll be working on probably 1145 00:43:36,000 --> 00:43:39,400 this winter where I'm not actually painting will be getting back 1146 00:43:39,400 --> 00:43:40,400 with that woman and saying, 1147 00:43:40,400 --> 00:43:42,760 okay, let's tweak it now because it's only been five years 1148 00:43:42,930 --> 00:43:43,800 as I'm going, 1149 00:43:43,980 --> 00:43:46,800 I'm learning more about what I want it to look like, 1150 00:43:46,830 --> 00:43:48,480 what I want to share on there. 1151 00:43:48,480 --> 00:43:50,520 And there's some things that I need to change that I 1152 00:43:50,520 --> 00:43:51,480 don't know how to do. 1153 00:43:51,480 --> 00:43:53,360 So I can go back to her because you get infinite 1154 00:43:53,360 --> 00:43:54,720 chances and say, 1155 00:43:54,720 --> 00:43:57,240 Hey, can I pay you to just walk me through these 1156 00:43:57,240 --> 00:43:58,600 things? And she will. 1157 00:43:58,600 --> 00:44:01,560 And those contacts just gold, 1158 00:44:01,560 --> 00:44:03,440 those contacts just gold. 1159 00:44:03,440 --> 00:44:04,120 Yeah, Yeah, 1160 00:44:04,220 --> 00:44:04,840 for sure. 1161 00:44:04,860 --> 00:44:05,440 And listen, 1162 00:44:05,440 --> 00:44:05,800 you know, 1163 00:44:05,800 --> 00:44:07,600 a website is always a work in progress. 1164 00:44:07,670 --> 00:44:09,680 I go back to both of my websites, 1165 00:44:09,990 --> 00:44:11,360 well one more than the other, 1166 00:44:11,420 --> 00:44:12,440 but update it, 1167 00:44:12,440 --> 00:44:13,000 adjust it, 1168 00:44:13,000 --> 00:44:13,520 change it. 1169 00:44:13,620 --> 00:44:15,640 The feel that I want looks different. 1170 00:44:15,640 --> 00:44:17,800 Maybe all of that all the time. 1171 00:44:17,800 --> 00:44:19,720 So it's not like you put a website up and you're 1172 00:44:19,720 --> 00:44:20,600 Done. Exactly. 1173 00:44:20,600 --> 00:44:21,560 Ever, ever. 1174 00:44:21,740 --> 00:44:23,560 And I'm one of those people who really likes to be 1175 00:44:23,560 --> 00:44:24,400 done and I'm learning, 1176 00:44:24,430 --> 00:44:25,320 you're just not. 1177 00:44:25,320 --> 00:44:26,200 You're just never done. 1178 00:44:26,200 --> 00:44:27,840 It's always evolving everything. 1179 00:44:28,380 --> 00:44:30,240 But you still have that online presence, 1180 00:44:30,240 --> 00:44:31,640 which I think is really, 1181 00:44:31,640 --> 00:44:32,680 really important. 1182 00:44:33,230 --> 00:44:34,840 It's really important. 1183 00:44:34,930 --> 00:44:35,720 It gives you, 1184 00:44:35,720 --> 00:44:38,160 and I think why I jumped head first into it was 1185 00:44:38,160 --> 00:44:39,240 it gives you legitimacy. 1186 00:44:39,270 --> 00:44:41,720 People can see that you really mean what you're doing. 1187 00:44:41,720 --> 00:44:42,720 This is a real product, 1188 00:44:42,720 --> 00:44:44,120 this is a real technique. 1189 00:44:44,120 --> 00:44:44,520 This is, 1190 00:44:44,520 --> 00:44:45,440 I'm really doing this. 1191 00:44:45,440 --> 00:44:47,240 And you can see where I've been and the things that 1192 00:44:47,240 --> 00:44:47,560 I've done. 1193 00:44:47,860 --> 00:44:48,520 But I did, 1194 00:44:48,520 --> 00:44:51,200 I would say maybe wait until you know a little bit 1195 00:44:51,200 --> 00:44:51,720 more about, 1196 00:44:51,720 --> 00:44:53,040 cause I did it months in, 1197 00:44:53,040 --> 00:44:54,440 I was just super unfocused. 1198 00:44:54,440 --> 00:44:55,120 Really. Wait, 1199 00:44:55,120 --> 00:44:56,320 maybe think about it. 1200 00:44:56,320 --> 00:44:57,400 Think who you wanna work with, 1201 00:44:57,400 --> 00:44:59,840 think really what you want it to look like before you 1202 00:44:59,840 --> 00:45:01,960 work with somebody or make it yourself. 1203 00:45:01,960 --> 00:45:04,120 Just because that focus is important. 1204 00:45:04,270 --> 00:45:05,280 Yeah. And I think, 1205 00:45:05,280 --> 00:45:05,720 you know, 1206 00:45:05,720 --> 00:45:07,240 you really do want to still, 1207 00:45:07,240 --> 00:45:08,560 what we were talking about in the beginning, 1208 00:45:08,960 --> 00:45:12,680 validate your product because that leads to what your business is 1209 00:45:12,680 --> 00:45:13,320 gonna be named, 1210 00:45:13,320 --> 00:45:15,600 which leads to your domain name. 1211 00:45:15,700 --> 00:45:18,320 And if you get everybody going down one path, 1212 00:45:18,580 --> 00:45:20,440 cuz you will attract some people. 1213 00:45:20,440 --> 00:45:20,760 You know, 1214 00:45:20,760 --> 00:45:21,960 you'll tell people about the website, 1215 00:45:21,960 --> 00:45:22,280 et cetera. 1216 00:45:22,460 --> 00:45:23,920 And then if you change it later, 1217 00:45:23,990 --> 00:45:27,240 it's just so confusing and just way more work. 1218 00:45:27,390 --> 00:45:29,120 I like that idea about delaying. 1219 00:45:29,120 --> 00:45:30,960 Now what about social media? 1220 00:45:31,190 --> 00:45:32,400 Okay, so first of all, 1221 00:45:32,430 --> 00:45:34,480 I had no social media before I started painting. 1222 00:45:34,770 --> 00:45:36,600 It is not an area where I'm comfortable. 1223 00:45:36,710 --> 00:45:39,000 I think that because I'm a sensitive person, 1224 00:45:39,170 --> 00:45:41,200 if I read good things about me, 1225 00:45:41,200 --> 00:45:44,600 I might get a little too excited or maybe feel a 1226 00:45:44,600 --> 00:45:45,040 little like, 1227 00:45:45,040 --> 00:45:46,880 ah, I'm really killing this. 1228 00:45:46,880 --> 00:45:47,720 Which is good, 1229 00:45:47,720 --> 00:45:51,560 but not if it's a superficial good then if, 1230 00:45:51,560 --> 00:45:52,960 but if I would read something bad, 1231 00:45:53,090 --> 00:45:54,440 it would crush me. 1232 00:45:55,330 --> 00:45:58,160 So I didn't have social media until I started this. 1233 00:45:58,160 --> 00:46:01,320 And I just was so excited at the beginning because it 1234 00:46:01,320 --> 00:46:03,920 was a way for me to take something that was really 1235 00:46:03,920 --> 00:46:06,400 hard and make it into something that was beautiful. 1236 00:46:06,420 --> 00:46:09,880 And I really wanted to share that message that Art heals 1237 00:46:09,880 --> 00:46:10,680 and hope is real. 1238 00:46:10,680 --> 00:46:13,640 And the best way to do that nowadays is social media. 1239 00:46:14,170 --> 00:46:17,080 So I am on Facebook and Instagram. 1240 00:46:17,290 --> 00:46:19,480 It is still one of those things that I sort of 1241 00:46:19,920 --> 00:46:20,680 struggle with sometimes. 1242 00:46:20,680 --> 00:46:21,400 How much to share, 1243 00:46:21,400 --> 00:46:22,200 how not to share, 1244 00:46:22,200 --> 00:46:23,080 what not to share. 1245 00:46:23,340 --> 00:46:26,080 The thing that you have to remember about social media is 1246 00:46:26,080 --> 00:46:27,640 that you do not own that platform. 1247 00:46:27,900 --> 00:46:31,000 And they can change it at any time in a way 1248 00:46:31,000 --> 00:46:32,640 that does not benefit you. 1249 00:46:32,850 --> 00:46:35,760 So that's why I really think it's super important to have 1250 00:46:35,760 --> 00:46:37,520 a space that is just yours. 1251 00:46:37,550 --> 00:46:38,520 That website, 1252 00:46:38,560 --> 00:46:39,480 super important. 1253 00:46:39,710 --> 00:46:42,200 That's where you say most of what you wanna say. 1254 00:46:42,420 --> 00:46:44,240 The social media can point you there, 1255 00:46:44,260 --> 00:46:46,920 but you don't own those platforms and it can be taken 1256 00:46:46,920 --> 00:46:49,320 away. You just decide to shut it down. 1257 00:46:50,210 --> 00:46:51,450 Speak in my language, 1258 00:46:51,770 --> 00:46:52,330 Stephanie, me. 1259 00:46:53,600 --> 00:46:55,130 Yeah, I mean it's a compliment. 1260 00:46:55,130 --> 00:46:57,970 It's one of the tools in your toolbox of your Business. 1261 00:46:58,340 --> 00:47:00,770 Exactly. But your website for sure. 1262 00:47:00,770 --> 00:47:03,850 I call your website and not if you have an Etsy 1263 00:47:03,850 --> 00:47:04,810 account. Cuz Etsy, 1264 00:47:04,810 --> 00:47:05,170 same thing. 1265 00:47:05,170 --> 00:47:06,570 You don't own the Etsy platform. 1266 00:47:06,570 --> 00:47:09,170 Right. But when you have your own website, 1267 00:47:09,170 --> 00:47:10,570 whether it's WordPresses, 1268 00:47:10,570 --> 00:47:12,170 you're doing Shopify, 1269 00:47:12,170 --> 00:47:14,530 which is another one of my favorite go-to places, 1270 00:47:15,030 --> 00:47:17,330 but I have one account on each of those platforms. 1271 00:47:17,330 --> 00:47:18,450 So we're talking the same things. 1272 00:47:18,450 --> 00:47:22,370 But that is like your headquarters in the online space. 1273 00:47:22,980 --> 00:47:24,010 Exactly, Yeah. 1274 00:47:24,010 --> 00:47:26,370 And so you wanna point people there and that's where you 1275 00:47:26,370 --> 00:47:29,600 house everything because you have a hundred percent control over that. 1276 00:47:29,780 --> 00:47:30,280 You know, 1277 00:47:30,280 --> 00:47:31,480 unless your internet goes down. 1278 00:47:31,480 --> 00:47:33,200 But there's that, 1279 00:47:33,760 --> 00:47:34,640 there is that. 1280 00:47:34,940 --> 00:47:36,280 You can't control everything, 1281 00:47:36,280 --> 00:47:37,240 even though I've tried. 1282 00:47:37,840 --> 00:47:39,240 Can't control everything. 1283 00:47:40,260 --> 00:47:40,840 All right. 1284 00:47:40,840 --> 00:47:42,400 So let's look out into the future. 1285 00:47:42,700 --> 00:47:46,240 Yes. You are going to be starting to write pretty shortly 1286 00:47:46,240 --> 00:47:47,120 here. Yes. 1287 00:47:47,120 --> 00:47:49,640 You are on your way to France. 1288 00:47:49,860 --> 00:47:54,960 Yes. What else can you share with us about your vision 1289 00:47:55,010 --> 00:47:56,280 as you proceed forward? 1290 00:47:57,070 --> 00:47:58,320 Well, I will, 1291 00:47:58,630 --> 00:48:01,160 I'll spend a little time in the holidays with family and 1292 00:48:01,160 --> 00:48:02,680 not doing much for a little bit of that. 1293 00:48:02,700 --> 00:48:04,040 But as I'm doing that, 1294 00:48:04,040 --> 00:48:06,680 what I'm working through for the painting part of the business 1295 00:48:06,810 --> 00:48:08,720 is I'm taking in, 1296 00:48:08,720 --> 00:48:12,280 maybe I'm thinking about travels that I've done already or that 1297 00:48:12,280 --> 00:48:12,840 I'll be doing. 1298 00:48:12,860 --> 00:48:14,000 I'm letting those, 1299 00:48:14,140 --> 00:48:18,600 the pictures or the memories of places and people, 1300 00:48:18,870 --> 00:48:22,040 I'll sort of watch them like a slideshow and kind of 1301 00:48:22,040 --> 00:48:23,560 take in and really think, 1302 00:48:23,560 --> 00:48:24,640 oh, I love that moment. 1303 00:48:24,670 --> 00:48:26,200 What did I love about that moment? 1304 00:48:26,300 --> 00:48:29,440 And maybe make a note somewhere so that when I start 1305 00:48:29,440 --> 00:48:30,480 to paint again in April, 1306 00:48:30,480 --> 00:48:32,480 I'll go back to those notes and go, 1307 00:48:32,520 --> 00:48:34,360 these are the moments that we're touching. 1308 00:48:34,360 --> 00:48:36,560 These are the moments that have really meant a lot to 1309 00:48:36,560 --> 00:48:38,280 me. This is what I learned in France, 1310 00:48:38,430 --> 00:48:39,200 that river, 1311 00:48:39,390 --> 00:48:40,880 that watching in March, 1312 00:48:41,160 --> 00:48:43,160 watching it go from the beginning of March to the end 1313 00:48:43,160 --> 00:48:43,480 of March, 1314 00:48:43,480 --> 00:48:45,560 and how the nature changed and started to bloom. 1315 00:48:45,640 --> 00:48:48,760 These are the things that I'm taking in to enhance the 1316 00:48:48,920 --> 00:48:50,800 painting process when I start it. 1317 00:48:51,170 --> 00:48:52,720 So it's never really stopped. 1318 00:48:53,050 --> 00:48:53,720 Oh my gosh. 1319 00:48:53,890 --> 00:48:55,840 So would you, 1320 00:48:55,970 --> 00:48:59,520 or have you thought about putting a little bit of a 1321 00:48:59,520 --> 00:49:02,200 story behind the painting as to what inspired it? 1322 00:49:02,550 --> 00:49:06,360 Like adding that element in to the painting on the back? 1323 00:49:06,810 --> 00:49:08,640 If it is representational, 1324 00:49:09,180 --> 00:49:11,160 yes. But if it is abstract, 1325 00:49:11,450 --> 00:49:14,240 no, because I don't wanna get in the way of what 1326 00:49:14,240 --> 00:49:15,160 people see in It. 1327 00:49:15,270 --> 00:49:15,960 Good point. 1328 00:49:15,960 --> 00:49:19,400 Yeah. I might know what it is for me, 1329 00:49:19,460 --> 00:49:22,320 but it could mean something completely different to you. 1330 00:49:22,320 --> 00:49:23,200 And I'm not as, 1331 00:49:23,230 --> 00:49:24,520 I already know what it means to me. 1332 00:49:24,520 --> 00:49:26,160 Right. That doesn't interest me at all. 1333 00:49:26,190 --> 00:49:27,600 I wanna know what you see in it. 1334 00:49:27,600 --> 00:49:30,800 So when people come to my booth or come to a 1335 00:49:30,800 --> 00:49:32,160 show or an exhibit that I'm in, 1336 00:49:32,470 --> 00:49:34,040 I really wanna hear, 1337 00:49:34,040 --> 00:49:36,800 and people really most of the time wanna tell me, 1338 00:49:36,800 --> 00:49:38,960 which I find fascinating and exciting. 1339 00:49:39,190 --> 00:49:41,520 They wanna tell me what they see in it, 1340 00:49:41,880 --> 00:49:42,840 or more importantly, 1341 00:49:42,840 --> 00:49:44,160 what they feel in it. 1342 00:49:44,160 --> 00:49:47,680 Yeah. That can lead to those discussions where you actually connect 1343 00:49:47,680 --> 00:49:48,160 with somebody. 1344 00:49:48,160 --> 00:49:49,920 And those are the important parts of my business. 1345 00:49:50,470 --> 00:49:51,520 Yeah, I agree. 1346 00:49:51,520 --> 00:49:52,560 That's so deep, 1347 00:49:52,760 --> 00:49:54,680 Stephanie. I love that. 1348 00:49:54,830 --> 00:49:56,200 I never think of myself as deep, 1349 00:49:56,200 --> 00:49:56,920 so yay. 1350 00:49:58,170 --> 00:49:59,160 No, I love it. 1351 00:49:59,160 --> 00:50:00,200 It's amazing. 1352 00:50:00,770 --> 00:50:03,840 Oh, I'm so excited to continue watching what you do. 1353 00:50:04,020 --> 00:50:06,000 And are you gonna come back to the Highland Park show 1354 00:50:06,000 --> 00:50:06,720 next summer you think? 1355 00:50:06,750 --> 00:50:07,360 I hope to. 1356 00:50:07,360 --> 00:50:08,320 Again, it's a juried show, 1357 00:50:08,320 --> 00:50:09,360 so I'll have to get in again, 1358 00:50:09,360 --> 00:50:10,360 but that is my plan. 1359 00:50:10,670 --> 00:50:11,560 You'll get in. 1360 00:50:11,560 --> 00:50:12,240 I'll track out. 1361 00:50:12,240 --> 00:50:13,880 Amy, that doesn't happen. 1362 00:50:14,410 --> 00:50:17,400 No, there is no doubt in my mind that you would 1363 00:50:17,400 --> 00:50:17,720 get in. 1364 00:50:18,470 --> 00:50:19,520 I love the community. 1365 00:50:20,070 --> 00:50:21,400 I love that community. 1366 00:50:21,450 --> 00:50:22,240 It is warm, 1367 00:50:22,240 --> 00:50:23,040 it is welcoming. 1368 00:50:23,040 --> 00:50:24,040 They love art. 1369 00:50:24,040 --> 00:50:25,480 They wanna come out and talk to you, 1370 00:50:25,480 --> 00:50:26,200 and it just, 1371 00:50:26,200 --> 00:50:28,360 it makes my job job a whole lot easier when you 1372 00:50:28,360 --> 00:50:29,560 have people who want to Connect. 1373 00:50:29,560 --> 00:50:31,040 Yeah. It's a wonderful community, 1374 00:50:31,040 --> 00:50:31,600 I have to say. 1375 00:50:31,600 --> 00:50:34,240 That's why I'm sitting right here in the community. 1376 00:50:34,920 --> 00:50:36,080 Stephanie, thank you so much. 1377 00:50:36,230 --> 00:50:38,240 I have so enjoyed our conversation. 1378 00:50:38,240 --> 00:50:39,040 I knew I would, 1379 00:50:39,040 --> 00:50:40,240 when I saw you at the booth, 1380 00:50:40,240 --> 00:50:42,680 there was just something I was attracted to your art. 1381 00:50:42,680 --> 00:50:45,960 Then you and I started the conversation and I'm so glad 1382 00:50:46,160 --> 00:50:48,200 that we were able to find time to come on and 1383 00:50:48,200 --> 00:50:49,960 talk together and share your story. 1384 00:50:49,970 --> 00:50:54,000 It is incredible and amazing and I wish you so, 1385 00:50:54,000 --> 00:50:55,400 so much success in the future. 1386 00:50:55,740 --> 00:50:57,200 And I know we'll stay connected, 1387 00:50:57,200 --> 00:50:58,360 so that will be wonderful. 1388 00:50:58,740 --> 00:50:59,440 Yes, please. 1389 00:50:59,440 --> 00:51:00,280 I would love that. 1390 00:51:03,420 --> 00:51:08,840 Art Heals and Hope is real Stephanie's message to us all. 1391 00:51:09,430 --> 00:51:10,680 It's encouraging, 1392 00:51:10,920 --> 00:51:14,040 uplifting, and full of optimism for the future. 1393 00:51:14,910 --> 00:51:17,080 I can't think of a better way to close out a 1394 00:51:17,080 --> 00:51:20,280 show as we head full blown into holiday mode. 1395 00:51:20,680 --> 00:51:22,200 Happy Thanksgiving everyone. 1396 00:51:22,670 --> 00:51:25,640 You're enjoying the podcast and would like to show support. 1397 00:51:26,310 --> 00:51:30,000 A rating and review is always fabulous because it helps get 1398 00:51:30,000 --> 00:51:31,760 the show seen by more makers. 1399 00:51:32,190 --> 00:51:33,680 It's a great way to pay it forward. 1400 00:51:34,420 --> 00:51:38,000 And there's another way where you can get something tangible in 1401 00:51:38,000 --> 00:51:39,440 return for your support too. 1402 00:51:39,940 --> 00:51:43,860 Visit my merch shop for a wide variety of inspirational items 1403 00:51:44,170 --> 00:51:45,180 like mugs, 1404 00:51:45,290 --> 00:51:47,340 journals, water battles, 1405 00:51:47,480 --> 00:51:49,460 and more featuring logos, 1406 00:51:49,530 --> 00:51:53,140 images, and quotes to inspire you throughout your day. 1407 00:51:53,500 --> 00:51:55,060 Makes a great gift too. 1408 00:51:55,800 --> 00:51:59,300 And we've just added some new products for the season to 1409 00:51:59,300 --> 00:51:59,620 the shop. 1410 00:52:00,190 --> 00:52:03,520 Turn around is quick and the quality is top notch. 1411 00:52:03,770 --> 00:52:05,600 Nothing but the best for you. 1412 00:52:06,710 --> 00:52:10,840 Take a look at all the options@giftbizunwrapped.com 1413 00:52:11,320 --> 00:52:12,400 slash shop. 1414 00:52:12,860 --> 00:52:17,040 All proceeds from these purchases helps go to offset the cost 1415 00:52:17,040 --> 00:52:18,160 of producing the show. 1416 00:52:18,700 --> 00:52:21,760 And now be safe and well and I'll see you again 1417 00:52:21,760 --> 00:52:24,160 next time on the Gift Biz Unwrapped podcast. 1418 00:52:26,670 --> 00:52:29,840 I wanna make sure you're familiar with my free Facebook group 1419 00:52:29,840 --> 00:52:31,760 called Gift Msre. 1420 00:52:32,310 --> 00:52:35,960 It's a place where we all gather and are a community 1421 00:52:36,050 --> 00:52:37,320 to support each other. 1422 00:52:37,630 --> 00:52:40,840 I've got a really fun post in there that's my favorite 1423 00:52:40,840 --> 00:52:41,400 of the week, 1424 00:52:41,400 --> 00:52:42,240 I have to say, 1425 00:52:42,280 --> 00:52:45,440 where I invite all of you to share what you're doing 1426 00:52:45,570 --> 00:52:47,000 to show pictures of your product, 1427 00:52:47,250 --> 00:52:49,640 to show what you're working on for the week, 1428 00:52:50,050 --> 00:52:52,040 to get reaction from other people. 1429 00:52:52,340 --> 00:52:53,800 And just for fun, 1430 00:52:53,800 --> 00:52:57,360 because we all get to see the wonderful products that everybody 1431 00:52:57,360 --> 00:52:59,000 in the community is making. 1432 00:52:59,530 --> 00:53:01,840 My favorite post every single week. 1433 00:53:02,050 --> 00:53:03,160 Without doubt. 1434 00:53:03,830 --> 00:53:04,840 Wait, what? 1435 00:53:05,670 --> 00:53:07,360 Aren't you part of the group already? 1436 00:53:08,210 --> 00:53:08,840 If not, 1437 00:53:08,840 --> 00:53:12,040 make sure to jump over to Facebook and search for the 1438 00:53:12,040 --> 00:53:12,720 group gift. 1439 00:53:13,340 --> 00:53:15,120 Bre don't delay. 1440 00:53:15,510 --> 00:53:18,800 Come join us in Gift Bree today.