I can’t remember the last time I had the radio on during a drive. I’ve also deactivated Facebook and only pop into Instagram once in a while to post artwork (and baby niece pictures). Decluttering my brain by cutting out social media, and voices singing about hopeless relationships and bad theology, has been wonderful for my mental health. It started with needing to process grief, but the reduced mental clutter has been a gift.
I’ve also started working part-time at a cute bakery (and soon-to-be bookstore), where the work culture is incredibly positive and coworkers are fun and encouraging. This move is also about simplifying my life to where I have a non-artistic job for my basic, stable income, but spend the rest of my time building up my body of paintings and fulfilling a few commissions to make a little more money. (I’m still working on books, but I’m taking a bit of a hiatus as I work on honing my illustration style.)
What’s kind of funny to me is that I started this blog with more of a serious business growth mindset, but went off on tangents talking about insights & life lessons in my personal life. I tried to bring it back to business growth earlier this year, but doing some deep soul-searching helped me get back to clarity and simplicity. I finally owned up to the fact that I’m an artist (and always have been), and I write about vulnerable things from my heart because that’s where the art comes from.
Even though I need at least a basic understanding of small business operations, what I’ve decluttered is this idea that business and money are “the thing.” They’re not. The “thing” is connecting with God through making art, and then connecting with people (especially kids!) in the sharing of it. That’s what should carry through whether I paint, illustrate, or write. The whole time, it’s been much more simple than I’ve been making it.
So here’s to my simple life: being an auntie to the cutest little niece, scooping out fistfuls of icing as I wash bakery dishes, co-leading a creative worship night for my eccentric community, and making art to provide true beauty in the world.
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