Dear friend,

There's something so freeing about painting and drawing for no reason other than to create. So often, when I get out my paints and sit down to create something, I wonder (and worry) if it will sell, how much people will like it, how amazing I can make it... and the magic of creating dulls a little bit.

And I just got a chance to paint without any pressure of selling whatsoever. No pressure of recording it for social media, no pressure of making it within a timeline, no pressure of meeting a certain theme... or anything.

It was so freeing, and relaxing, and honestly, super inspiring.

See, I was able to spend time sewing (a new hobby I'm picking up), reading (an old hobby I'm returning to), and staring at nature (a hobby I always want to do more often).

And weirdly enough, the more time I spent away from forcing myself to paint as much as I can in my free time, the more I WANTED to paint. The more ideas I got, the more new things I wanted to try, and the more things I wanted to learn and push myself on.

I realized I create the best when I approach it in a childlike way. Most certainly bringing my best, but seeing it as an exploration. Wondering what will happen, like I'm waiting to discover the piece. And totally okay with it if it I absolutely dislike it by the time I'm done.

Most of the time when I create in freedom without stress or pressure, I find I enjoy the process and the result much more.

It also gave me a chance to gather inspiration in the world outside. The textures in the constantly moving ocean, the racing raindrops down the window, the sponge-y look of the sand after a little sprinkle.

I even found inspiration in the stories I took time away from painting to read, in the clouds that swarmed the horizon, and the little weeds with flowers that clung stubbornly to the grass.

What did all this make me realize, you ask? Great question. It made me realize I've been living with too much ambition. Too much urgency, too much busyness...and that it's been slowly stifling my creativity more each week.

I found ways to still "work my business" while being on my phone and computer less, realized that maybe I'm spending too much time on things that are draining my ability to create, and discovered that I might need to protect my time with the Lord more and not let the world and busyness of life steal my peace.

I'm not sure if you can relate to any of this, but my guess is you can relate to feeling drained, strained, and empty. Maybe you're there now. It's really hard to prioritize and protect the things most important to us. We have limited time... and it seems that the tighter we cling to our limited time, the more limited it becomes.

There's only so much we can fit on our plates... and sometimes there are seasons where I think the Lord asks us to carry more than we can on our own so it'll stretch us and teach us to lean on Him... but other times I think we needlessly add and add and add onto our plates pointlessly.

Sometimes when we add too much to our plates it doesn't grow us, it actually hinders our ability to honor the Lord with the things that are truly important because we're wasting our energies on things less important in the grand scheme of things.

Maybe the key for me to be a better, "more successful" artist isn't for me to just do more things. Maybe it's for me to consider how I'm spending my time and prioritizing better.

Maybe there's part of this "LET the peace of Christ rule in your hearts" (Colossians 3:15-16) that means we need attitude adjustments so that we shift away from the dopamine addicted, fast paced world we live in and we slow down enough to remember that the focus isn't the green pastures -- it's the presence of the Shepherd.

I hope this encourages you that you're not alone if you feel weary by the speed of life and it has affected the position of your heart. I'm there with ya. I'm just so thankful for grace and a Redeemer who's always ready for us to leave the busy behind and spend more time with Him.

Happy Friday!

~Isabel Grace

P.S. The print club is open for new members until the 20th! This print club is all about encouragement (and art of course) so that you can shine bright for the Lord even when it's hard and remember you're not alone no matter how alone you may feel. If you want to learn more about this print club you can check it out HERE! (Feel free to stalk my website for originals and prints and things... and you can reply to any of my emails at any time! I love hearing from you!)