When Life Decides You’re Ready
Last week was Halloween, and I found myself at my kids’ school, volunteering.
Not because I had to, but because creating joy for children feels like second nature to me —
a small act of love, a spark of creativity shared.
Another mom was there, vibrant and full of energy,
a life coach who spoke of one of her clients dreaming of selling art.
Before even starting, that client was already imagining
how she’d sell a painting for a thousand dollars.
It made me smile — and brought me back through memory lane.
I often say I started a year ago,
and people sometimes misunderstand what that means.
Yes, about a year and a half ago, I made a decision —
to pick up my brush and create every single day.
Was I ready to sell? Absolutely not.
Did I sell my first painting?
No — I think I actually burned it, it was that bad!
But truth is, my creativity didn’t start then.
It’s been part of me since I can remember.
I was the girl who drew at recess,
who made friends with everyone through her pencil and imagination.
Years later, pregnant with my second child,
a woman approached me at a wedding.
She told me she still had a folder filled with my old drawings,
kept safely in a shoebox all these years.
That’s when I realized — life had always been guiding me back to art.
Whenever times were hard,
whenever money was tight,
I always found myself creating something for others —
a small gift, a painting, a piece of light to make someone feel special.
Then came a difficult year.
Teaching wasn’t enough to carry me through.
So I made a choice:
to start again, as if I had never painted before.
I joined a program — The Mastery Program —
and, after convincing my husband with all the passion I could gather,
we made it happen.
Weeks passed.
My studio filled with canvases —
each one a reflection of my persistence and my rediscovered joy.
I didn’t care about selling;
I cared about learning, about getting better.
I’ve never liked being a beginner —
I needed mentors, guidance, truth.
Twelve weeks of classical oil painting came first,
then a new chapter: mixed media.
That’s when she was born —
a woman on canvas with flowers for eyes,
a symbol that through our gaze
we can choose to see life as beauty,
if only we want to.
When she was done, I knew she was special.
I showed my mom, proud and a little nervous.
“How much would you sell her for?” she asked.
I told her my price,
and she smiled and said,
“Sold.”
My first sale — to my mother.
It wasn’t planned.
It was simply life saying: you’re ready.
From there came more women:
one with lemons,
another — a naked back, a symbol of transformation.
She was called Metamorphosis —
the caterpillar becoming the butterfly.
I brought her to a café,
and the owner fell in love at first sight.
She said the price was fair and bought it on the spot.
Again, life whispered: you’re ready.
The lesson in all this?
Create for yourself.
Fill your world with beauty, patience, and joy.
Don’t chase the sale —
let life decide when it’s time.
Because when you create with love,
your art will find the hearts it’s meant for.
And in that quiet unfolding,
you’ll realize —
good things grow slowly.
They bloom when you’re ready to receive them. 🌸