I have been accepted to an artist residency in the Champagne region of France at Chateau Orquevaux for the month of April in 2024.   Only 20% of applicants are accepted to this program.  If you know me you know this region of the world has been a bucket list item and this residency is a dream come true.

image via reddit

Each year I think through what I want less of next year, intentions I want to set, and a word that encompasses all of that to keep me on track.

2022: Peace
​2021:
2020:
​2019: Grace
​2018: Harmony
2017: Balance
2016: Unfuckwithable

I can’t remember past 2016. Also, notice 2020 and 2021? I have literally blocked out so much of the trauma I don’t have any memory of those words for those years. So basically it was just Survive. Likely 2020 was Fine. My mantra was “I am fine, this is fine, everything is fine”.

Do you set intentions? Pick a word or mantra?

If you’d like help setting your 2023 up and working through the shit, sign up for Art Club on December 31st where we will make vision boards, work through intentions, set them, and pick a word of the year using my “special” brand of hippie dippie sarcastic positivity. Let’s grow, open up, and release what doesn’t serve us. Let’s set boundaries and intentions.

Look out for coozies coming soon with this Trust the Process graphic. Use it as a great reminder. I look forward to sharing another year of creativity with you and hope to raise a brush and a beverage with you soon.

Cheers!

Cara

Now that we are almost a half a year in to having downsized to just the smaller Perry studio, I can say, without a doubt, this was the right decision.  

When you start a business, the goal is always to do more, get better, get bigger, grow, hustle.  Then, perhaps after several years of that a global catastrophy happens.  Perspectives change, debt develops to keep everything afloat, stress reaches a level of unknown preportions.  

I LOVE the service we provide, I HATED 2020 and 2021.  The excrutiating pain of running the business was overwhelming and likely permanantly damaging due to the trauma of it all.  

I am so happy to be out of the lease in Warner Robins, and at home at our smaller, cozy studio.  I feel like this studio is just exactly what I pictured for Lush Art from the beginning.  But then life happened, and got in the grind of becoming "more".

Were those sold out nights in Warner Robins with 42 painters profitable?  Hell yes.  But were they often enough?  No.  And could we do those the last couple years?  No.  

Now we top out at 15 and I like it.  I like that I have time to connect with everyone in class.  I like that keeping up with inventory is easier.  I like that keeping up with classes at one location is easier.  I like that life is easier.  I like that classes sell out more regularly.  I like that it is more consistent and stable.  I like this life of less hustle and more creating.  Less noise and more creativity.  Less bills, and more debt pay down.  And by the end of the year we should be back to being in the black.  

So if you have worried about the changes that Covid made in your business or life, but shockingly figured out some things during that time that surprised you.  Make sure you are making room in your life for the changes you want to see, and not just going back to the grind because it is what is expected.  

While there are benefits to growing and achieving there are also drawbacks.  What makes your heart happy?  Do more of that!  Make room for change.  Allow expectations to change.  Allow less to be more.  

Have you not visited us at our Perry location?  Do it!  It feels like a tree house, like an escape from the world.  It feels like a hug and I swear it has boosted my creativity!

​Cara

​What are you doing for yourself next week? March is all about taking control, marching headfirst into creativity, and allowing art to thrust you into a new way of thinking.

Can you run before you walk?
No. But you can paint before you can paint. Let me say that again. You CAN paint before you can PAINT. Meaning you just have to start. You’ll improve, gain confidence, have room for making it your own, experiment. But first you have to start.

At Lush Art we break a painting one of our artists created down in such a way anyone can follow along. We do this so you can gain skills to develop either a new hobby or a way to destress from your normal day to day. And sometimes both happen. We even had some regulars who went on to join our staff and make money from their creativity.

Don’t forget to take time for you, if you’ve been wanting to take a class. Stop and go look at your calendar. Find a class that can work. Book it. Put it in your calendar because YOU are a priority. YOU deserve time to create.

“The secret to so many artists living so long is that every painting is a new adventure. So, you see, they're always looking ahead to something new and exciting. The secret is not to look back.”

Norman Rockwell

Are you confused about if there is a difference in Self Care (a word everyone is throwing around) and Self Love?  Self Love is our theme for February.  

Above is a clip from my IGTV, where I talk with Lori Gaylor, MS LPC about this and more.  

I have strong feelings that they are very different.  Self Care to me is getting your hair done, getting a facial, going for a massage, making that doctor appointment you have been putting off.  

Self Love is what comes from within and is what encourages you that you are worth doing the above things for yourself without guilt, or at least with less guilt.  

I also feel like there is a difference in Self Respect and Self Love.  For example, I think someone like Kim Kardashian for sure has self love, does plenty of self care, but I'd question if she has self respect.  I think anyone can have self love, it doesn't require being a good person.  Self respect requires character, which requires awareness and some people either choose to not be aware of their actions or they just don't care.  It is also hard to have self respect if you don't respect others, laws, etc. 

It would be hard for a criminal to possess self respect when they don't respect laws, the people their actions affect, but it is certainly possible for them to love themselves in their unawareness.  

Join me on Thursday, January 11 at 2pm Eastern (or anytime after for the replay) as we continue our discussions on Self Love and this week our topic is Friendships.  I will be talking with my BFF for over 25 years.  

Do you need more self love, self care, or self respect in your life?  You may even need more of all three.  Leave any questions below.  

Cara

Why is a paint place showing me mascara?

This month is about Loving Yourself and I love a good mascara. I’m almost 42 and have probably been wearing mascara for almost 30 years.

It’s taken me this long to accept the fact that I LOVE travel sized mascaras more than full size. And I always feel guilty because by weight, they’re more expensive. I went to Ulta a couple weeks ago and told the girl helping me that I like them better and she said “Me Too!”. I’m not alone!

Then I saw an article, or post, or something in the last week that said it’s much better to buy the travel size because they last about as long as you’re suppose to use a tube of mascara. So they’re cheaper and healthier and I know people think it’s crazy but they work BETTER!

Why am I sharing this? What do you feel guilty of doing? Maybe it’s time to let that shit go. It may be as simple as a travel mascara or as heavy as major trauma. But it may be time to ease up on yourself a little bit. ​