Things are changing

“There can be no life without change, and to be afraid of what is different or unfamiliar is to be afraid of life.” – Theodore Roosevelt

Every day our world is changing. Each new day brings a different set of circumstances and occurrences than the previous one. There is nothing wrong with change, as it is the way we grow, learn, and live.

Even though that is the way things have been for all the ages (and will be in the future), some don’t do well with change. There is a certain amount of comfort in familiarity and routine and things that deviate too far from that can make one feel uncomfortable and even frightened. The unknown future can be unsettling.

While some don’t like change, others seem to thrive on it. They love the adventure of exploring uncharted territory and enjoy the thrill of new experiences. Not only do they embrace the changes that life thrusts upon them, but they actually seek them out, always searching for a new adventure or learning experience to fill their lives. I sometimes think that those people are the happiest.

Most of us have a little bit of both traits. We like the familiar feelings of our daily routines, yet we look for new things, people, and experiences so we can continue to grow and learn and have full and happy lives. Experiencing new things can be exciting and makes us feel alive and happy, and learning helps us feel accomplished.

I often hear others say that ‘things are changing’ like it is a bad thing. I suppose it could be something less than positive if we are completely happy where we are in life, but I am a firm believer that without change we are unable to grow and prosper. So what would be the point of living without change? While there may be some feelings of discomfort when things aren’t quite the same as they have been in the past, I suppose I feel that without that discomfort we would tend to get stuck in a rut, and I do believe that I would like that feeling even less than the feelings I get when having to adapt to something different. In part, it would depend on the situation and the degree of change, but it is (to me) not only necessary but inevitable. I think to be content, we need to embrace it.

So why all this talk of ‘change’?

It dawned on me this week just how much change is around me. For some reason, I noticed just how different things are from just a few years (and even weeks) ago. Not just in my own life, but in the lives of my family and friends. Several are moving or going to move. Others are experiencing more subtle changes, as am I. But we all seem to be ‘in process’ in one way or another. And when thinking about it I realize that being that way isn’t anything unusual, but is much more common than if things didn’t change at all. It is part of growing and part of life.

For myself, I am enjoying the small changes in my life. At the beginning of the year, I felt that I wanted to try some new things regarding my business. I have talked about them in previous posts and little by little I am seeing my plans come to be.

They haven’t been without worry or discomfort. But on the days that I felt most anxious, I needed to remind myself of the long-term goal, and for the most part, I have been able to calm my worries and keep moving forward. Even when I wanted to retreat. I needed to remember that most changes entailed a degree of anxiety or at best uneasiness. This is when it helped to have friends who were supportive and encouraging. It was during those times of doubt that having someone who believed in you helped get you over the hump. I don’t know if I could have kept moving without them during those moments, and I am grateful.

Right now, it seems that I have come out on the other side of things. At least for a while. It appears the recent changes that I have made in the business side of my life have reached somewhat of a plateau. At least for now.

Things are quite different than they were for me a year ago, and I rather like where I am at the moment. Things have shifted slightly with my business and I feel that I am in a good place. A better place than I was at this time last year when things seemed so uncertain and (to me) were getting a bit stagnant. I feel that the discomfort that I have felt during the change has paid off. I need to remember that when things are changing again. (And they certainly will!)

The week has been full and fun.

I spent a few long days in my shop cutting orders and another few days packing up and shipping them out. My “Ginger All The Way” Treasure Box has been (by my standards) a wonderful success.

More so than I could have ever dreamed of. I am so grateful.

After the batch of orders headed out the door, I was able to take some time to create some videos.

One of the goals I have this year is to make more instructional videos for my YouTube Channel as well as my Facebook Group. I feel that I have a lot to offer regarding my experiences not only regarding acrylic painting but also using other types of mediums. I feel as if I have been preparing for years to teach and share my knowledge and perhaps the time to do so has arrived.

My interview with Lindsay Weirich (The Frugal Crafter) helped me a great deal. I was absolutely petrified of doing it (one of those ‘discomforts’ I spoke about above) but once I began talking to Lindsay, things changed. I love talking about art and the art industry and I soon forgot that I was being ‘interviewed’ and felt like I was speaking with a friend. And I was. For me, it was a game-changer.

This week I began filming a couple of videos. I immediately noticed a difference in myself when doing so. It is probably nothing that anyone else would be able to detect, but I could actually feel the difference within myself. It was as if I were talking to friends and sharing information with them. I no longer had the fear of looking or sounding foolish. I didn’t even think in that direction.

I am working on a couple of videos for my Treasure Box group, but they will be public after the August 1st self-imposed deadline when I will make them public. I actually am finding that I like doing videos because I love sharing what I have learned with others – be it techniques or general information. (Since much of my life revolves around creating and learning, that can be a lot!)

Another video that I created that is on my public YouTube channel is this one:

It shows me matching the new 2024 DecoArt Acrylic paint colors to existing colors in the DecoArt palette.

Since the ‘new’ colors were released several months ago, I have had many of my customers express to me that they were either having difficulty getting them (this happens all the time when new things are released) or that they didn’t really want to expand their already massive palette of DecoArt paints. I can certainly relate to that, and even though I paint and create painting patterns for a living, I think I have ‘enough’.

(This is under the daybed in my studio room. I use the trundle for storing my DecoArt paint.)

When I obtained the new colors, I noticed they were very close in hue to several of the colors I already had in my drawer:

While many customers who messaged me were concerned that they ‘needed’ the new colors, I wanted to offer them an alternative. Thus, the video.

Decorative painters who use these types of acrylics aren’t really keen on mixing colors.

I can state that with a bit of confidence. While there are some adventurous ones (like me!) many – especially those newer to this type of painting – want to follow instructions exactly and not deviate from them at all. But this isn’t always prudent.

As I mentioned in previous posts, I am exploring other types of acrylic paint to use. The tube paint by JoSonja is something that I really find I like, as there are fewer available colors and they tend to stick with the colors they have. Not to swap them out every year, which can really mess with those of us who write and/or follow patterns.

I will be showing them more in the future, as well as a new ‘wet palette’ that I found that does a beautiful job of preserving acrylic paint and mixes. It may be a game-changer for many, as it is for me.

But that will be in a later post, as this one is getting lengthy.

I am going to close here and encourage you to watch the video. If anything, it shows you just how close those new colors are to those you may already have.

While I understand that companies need to generate revenue to stay in business, I believe that perhaps there could be better ways than reinventing the wheel. So many like to say that ‘painting is a dying hobby’ when it seems to me that it is the companies themselves that are killing it. Instead of making more and more products, I would think that they would want to focus on teaching customers how to use the products they already produce to draw more into the hobby.

If I were just beginning, I would look at the 350+ colors available and it would be very intimidating for me to think that I had to purchase so many colors to follow the written packet instructions. Not to mention costly. I would feel better if I followed someone who uses a brand with a much more limited palette and taught us how to tone and shade things using fewer colors, as these techniques could then be applied to other mediums.

But what do I know… ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

We live in a world that is constantly changing. Without these changes, we are unable to grow and learn and even live interesting and productive lives. There are many ways we can respond or react to the changes around us. That, I feel, is what determines the direction our lives will head. Embracing these changes helps us live full and happy lives. Even if some of those changes are not comfortable.

I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Until next time…