It has taken me nine months to finally feel like moving back toward sharing my art on Etsy again. My heart has needed time to heal.
The Coronavirus Pandemic hit about the time that my Mom declined rapidly and passed away last spring... and so began a bizarre, heartbreaking "saying goodbye" without the chance to be with her in her last days, or even attend her funeral due to travel restrictions. It was an emotional and baffling time for me, trying to make sense of the circumstances of Mom's homecoming. For a while, it just didn't seem like it all could be real.
So... I really needed to step back for a while to think, to pray, to wrestle with what was and with what is now. I needed a safe place to just be for a while.
Being quarantined at home during this time ended up being a gift to me... I didn't have anywhere to go, there weren't many outside distractions or responsibilities, and life was extra quiet at our house. So, I dug into my craft closet and found some tiny canvas panels I'd been hoarding forever, and started to paint them one by one.
I've always enjoyed working small... My first endeavor with online art sales was creating ACEO's (artist trading cards that are for sale... They measure 2.5" x 3.5"). I like the challenge of creating in a defined space. I like to see how many different ideas can be created on a tiny art card... or in this case, a miniature canvas.
And so, I spent the summer and fall applying colorful acrylics to tiny canvases. The ideas just kept flowing...
...until finally I'd created quite a stash of mini paintings!
I resisted the idea of reopening my Etsy shop at first... Was I ready to come out of my retreat yet? Did I have the emotional and physical energy to re-engage with the world? And, was I willing to go back to posting on Instagram and Facebook again so people could find out about my art?
Well, to tell the truth, the jury's still out on the social media question. I have really loved the quiet... not feeling obligated to post, not being bombarded with what everyone else if doing and thinking... just being me with my own creative ideas and thoughts.
But I did miss putting my artwork out into the world and sharing what I'd created. It seemed a waste to keep stashing my paintings where no one would ever enjoy them.
So, I'm back. And it feels OK. I'm not expecting hoards of customers knocking at my shop's door. But I do hope that others will find a tiny bit of happiness from what I have made. If I can add to someone's joy by sharing my art, that will be more than enough!
Thank you Lord for time to heal. Thank you for the joy of creativity. Thank you for new beginnings. Thank you for loving me! 💖
