Business Slow? Don't Give Up!

Do not dispare my fellow small business folk! I am writing this post to strike hope into the hearts of all of you who are just inches away from giving up. I know that following your dreams can be hard, especially in this economy. No, I don't have any magic formula or guaranteed way to start making you millions today..but if anyone out there has one please leave it in a comment!

I am only here today to say "I know how you feel". I started my business at the 1st of the year. I mean literally January 1st. It was my goal for the year to start a successful business that would generate me a full time income, doing what I love, ART! I have a business degree, the know how, some experience..it will be a snap! Or so I thought. Months go by, like 7 of them and the only sales I've made are to my family members. God bless um'. But that simply was not what all I had in mind for my business.

So after a while of being completely disappointed and nearly abandoning my ETSY Shop altogether. *ah ahh ahhh, Angels singing* I happened to be cleaning out my abandoned email and I see it. Congratulations On Your First Sale! What?!? I can't tell you the excitement and re-established motivation I had.

I contact the lady, seeing as it had been a few days, and 2 stock orders turned into 4 custom orders. Wow! Not to mention the much needed compliments and belief that this woman has that I will one day be a well known artist.

God doesn't stop there. Just to show me he's been listening and that his hand of blessing is on me, the very next morning I receive a text from a customer who wants me to paint a custom mural in his back yard. If you feel that you are on the path God has lead you to, be patient, the blessing will come in due time. Keep praying and see what The Lord is teaching you in your time of drought. For me I knew even when it was happening he was teaching me patience and perseverance. Most of all , don't give up!

Challenge Update

On Monday, I set a challenge to myself and all of you to keep a log or mental note of the negative self-thoughts that pop into your head throughout this week. I called it our Stop Being So Negative Challenge .  If you missed the post it’s never to late to get on bored.  For now it’s time to review what we kept track of this week.

copyright Sheanna Marie

Here’s My List:

I’m not accomplishing enough

I’m overwhelmed

I just don’t have the energy

I’m not motivated

Who cares anyway

I can’t do this

These were my negative thoughts for the week. Pretty much the same ole’ things I’ve been hearing in my head the past few months. I sat down and prayed about this list today and said “God, what do I need to learn from this?” His response to me was simple, Philippians 4:13 I can do everything through Christ who strengthens me.

Please join the conversation through the comments button at the bottom of the post and let’s stand strong together. 

The "Quit Being So Negative" Challenge

Identity by Sheanna Marie

During a recent Bible study class I came across a quote in our study book Basic Training for the Prophetic Ministry by Kris Vallotton. This quote has inspired the discussion for today and challenge for this week.

For a little background info:

The past six months I have spent launching my business. I have been going full force with no other income and no other hobbies or jobs. At six months in, as you could guess, I’m not a millionaire mogul, yet. As a person with a history of instant gratification, being a spoiled only child, and impatient to say the least; I started to really get down on myself and question my abilities and worth as an artist and entrepreneur.  I was becoming unmotivated and deeply negative about every aspect of my life, concentrating only on what wasn’t happening and what wasn’t going right.

Here is what I learned:

“You did not paint yourself, God painted you. Not only that, but Jesus is the one who sat in the chair and modeled for the [your] portrait. We are created in His image and in his likeness. Every time we demean ourselves we are talking badly about the Artist and the Model. “ – Kris Vallotton

WOW!! What a revelation this was to me. How quickly this truth resonated inside of me and began breaking chains immediately. As an artist myself I can totally relate to this. If someone were to be rude and demeaning about one of my paintings it would be offensive to me and the subject in which I had painted. We are all made in God’s image.

“So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.” –Genesis 1:27

So to speak and or believe negative things about ourselves is to speak and believe negative things about our God.

So the next time you catch yourself saying something negative about yourself or anyone for that matter, take the thought captive and ask yourself again in this format..

EX: “I’m stupid and can’t do anything right”

STOP

“Do I believe God is stupid and can’t do anything right?”

I suspect that you will find that you are speaking a lie about yourself. Much of our thinking and behavior problems come from a problem in what we believe about our God.

I encourage you all to take a challenge with me this week. Spend this week keeping track and taking purposeful notice of the negative thoughts that enter your mind, especially about yourself. Consider keeping a journal or note log. At the end of the week look back over these notes and see if there is a common link in the negativity so that we can together begin to figure out what our incorrect beliefs are and begin to guide each other in truth and knowledge.

Nightmares & Blessings

We have all had a nightmare or two that sticks with us emotionally when we wake. We awaken to a fast beating heart, fear, anger, and perhaps tears. What can we take from those that stem from our truest, deepest and darkest fears?

I experienced one of these nightmares myself just last night. I awoke with a fright in my heart. I had dreamed my husband confessed unemotionally that he had been unfaithful since even before our marriage.  He was cold and uncaring of my inevitable heartbreak.  He wanted nothing to do with reconciliation and my emotional distress and his indiscretions were all my own to deal with.  My heart broke and I felt my mind crack and I became distraught and murderous.

BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP, my phone has a random alarm go off at 3:30-something in the AM and awakens me from this terrible hell. In shock I am fully aware of the epic drama that has just occurred in my head. I know it isn’t true and my husband comforts me. I realize quickly this dream was not about my husband, John, but a horrifying re-living of my previous marriage. I sit up in bed realizing this and it brings me to tears that come from a wound of deep seeded pain and betrayal just as sore as it was the day it was created.

Today I realize that some heart ache’s never heal, to the point that it just doesn’t matter or that it’s like it never happened. True heartbreak and betrayal can never be written off. Why, do I say this? What about forgiveness you ask? Forgiveness can be found and as time passes we move on and the pain is no longer apart of our daily lives, but, if we value our selves we can never say to the depth of our soul that it is ok for someone to treat us so cruelly.

The Face of God by Sheanna Marie

However, today I also realize how truly blessed I am now. How God has lifted me up from the trenches of darkness into a light and love like I have never known before.  We must find the strength to awaken ourselves from the nightmares of life and trust in the goodness of God to lift us up into euphoria.

Psalms 147:3

     He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.

2 Corinthians 4:9 
     Persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed;

Love (multi-media) by Sheanna Marie

            

Simplify Your Mind..Turning a Complex Idea Into a Tangible Painting.

Ever have an idea so complex you are not sure how to actually convey it in one simple still frame form?
Let me help you with that..


Let Me Start With An Example:
My most recent painting 'Breaking Chains', as seen in the last video post, started as a very complex vision in comparison to the final product. 


My Minds Eye: 
With eyes closed during a church service I am listening to people sing, Break Every Chain. I begin to see a vision...
I see thousands of men and women naked & dirty in an open field, bent over & chained to the ground. I also see an army of angels in white radiant suits of armor on the hill over looking the people. The army charges down the hill with swords raised. They rush into the crowed of helpless people and bring their swords down on their chains, shattering them and freeing the people.


Process Of Elimination: 
The size of your canvas will have much to do with how much your idea will need to be simplified
What is the main point of this idea?  
Being freed from the metaphorical chains by the power of the Lord.
So from that I can decide that one human form will suffice to make the point. 
I will need chains. 
I will need a sword, which will easily represent a cross as well to represent the spiritual metaphor.
Even the angel itself became something I could eliminate.
I used the swirls of color to also represent the metaphorical emotional & spiritual battle taking place. Doing this also created a focus on the figure, chains, & sword.

There you go, it's really that simple! Don't overwhelm yourself or your viewer, keep it simple.

Breaking Chains an acrylic painting by Sheanna Marie (video)