Making income from my artwork .. feeling blessed and hopeful

 9:48am - 6.9.24

Something inspired me enough to get up to write, but distraction after distraction, now here I am and I don't exactly recall what I was going to write about.

My husband just finished his shower and he's growling, LOL. He's getting ready for work. I woke up a little late (8am) after having gone to bed a little early (10:30pm?). It's now nearly 10am and the UV index is 6.1, 88 degrees outside. If I'm not up and getting ready for my day at like 6:30am, and if I'm waking up instead at 8am, it feels like I'm behind schedule, but I know I'm right on time.

There's no need to rush things here. It just feels different. The heat of the day determines the plans for the day. I will walk Marley when the sun starts to go down. I do have to take a trip to UPS at some point to mail out some artwork and stickers, and also some paperwork (to get a copy of my birth certificate amended to "X" or "non-binary" - however they do it in NJ).  I will probably do that during the hottest part of the day, because it needs to get done and I've waited too long, but I'm paying more attention to my body these days - if it says "I'm tired", it means "please stay home and let me rest".  So, we'll see. 

I have a painting to finish (Nancy's), and today I'll be painting a very special portrait for the Barone family. I did a canvas painting for them several years back when their son was born. They're a gay couple who adopted their son, and the birth photo had become viral. It had inspired me to create a painting, which I then had sent out to them (they live in Canada). They've kept it hanging on their wall all these years, I love that. So it will be really cool to now create a blind contour portrait of their family.

Well, I got distracted ... so I'm showered, have made a Facebook post about that blind contour portrait that I'm going to paint today and now I'm going to make myself some eggs. 

I'm nervous and excited. I also received $100 for a custom painting, which is also exciting. I've been working a few hours a week, making $12 an hour to help an elderly person with chores. In addition, I have been using my time to paint. The Pride Series, which is a daily painting for the moth of June, keeps me focused and consistent by default. And because of this, my work is gaining attention and more followers and more requests and commissions. This week is bringing in $240 so far from my art work. I find myself holding my breath, thinking this will slow down at some point.  The daily series was helping to keep me distracted from the fact that I am unemployed otherwise. I had been updating my resumes, sending them out everywhere, working hard all day to look for jobs. I also had hired two people to help me post about my paint party business and but I wasn't getting any leads. Two painters signed up for a painting next week and I got a call from a Cat Shelter about a fundraiser event in October. 

I am absolutely thrilled and taken aback at the same time, that I am making enough money that I may not have to go work retail - which I was willing to do, even went on an interview. I can paint from home, sell my art work ... if this keeps up, I will be able to make a living from my art work and it will allow us the ability to travel.  If it be thy will, God ... 

Amen.