Dear friend,

Have you ever decided you wanted to get better at something and decide to work at it consistently, and then find you keep running into trouble and issue after issue?

I feel like that sometimes. I'm an emerging artist, which means I'm early in my art journey, trying to break into the art world, and building my art business from the ground up... and I'm still super close to the ground.

One of the biggest challenges I've faced as an emerging artist is that I just have SO much to learn. I've got to learn all the business things (the marketing, the strategies, the website designs, the tax rules, the financial management, the planning for the future).... but I also have to learn all the art things.

I've been studying successful established full-time artists and I've noticed they all have something significant in common. They create high quality artwork that is in a signature style. If I showed you one painting by one of these artists, and then I showed you fifty paintings you'd never seen before, you'd be able to pick out which the first artist did because their style is so significant.

I've been trying to find my style. Emerging artists are emerging in their artistic abilities as well. I've learned a TON and improved a TON in my painting ability in the last year and a half, but I have a long way to go.

I haven't yet found "my style". And sometimes I get super discouraged with that. Last week I was super discouraged. I wondered if maybe I should give up, if I'm wasting my time, and if I'll ever find "my style".

But this week, my attitude has changed a bit. See, one of the biggest blessings of being an emerging artist is that the whole artistic world is open before me. I get to experiment, learn, practice, study, and create without pressure.

So I've been taking each painting as an experiment. I've been studying paintings by other artists and noticing what I love. I've been trying to give myself more grace and treat each artwork as a trial, not a masterpiece. And this slight mindset shift has given me more courage to keep going as I try to find "my style" and create art that really stops people in their tracks.

I've been testing out different painting ideas, techniques, and methods and I've been enjoying the freedom of experimentation.

And honestly, one of the blessings of this experimenting and learning process of my art is that you get to go on this journey with me. Some of you have been subscribed to my email newsletter from the very first week I sent an email out back in March 2025. Some of you are just joining me in the last couple weeks. And I appreciate all of you.

Because, honestly, you're going to see artwork that I don't love. Artwork that I feel is too lacking, artwork that I feel I should have been able to make better than it is. But you're also going to see growth.

My art journey isn't really typical. I'm approaching it without having gone to art school, without any gallery connections, without anything but a drive to create art that makes people smile and points them to the Lord.

Because my journey isn't typical, it's a bit messy. I'm learning. Growing. Struggling, improving, failing, hoping, dreaming, and changing plans.

But really, that's what life is. Likely you relate to some of those words too and are in some of the same stages as I am.

And that's why I haven't been afraid to share with you my fears and discouragements and the success and struggles I've been facing with my art business. Because I want you to go on this journey and learn with me.

Sure, you may or may not be learning how to paint better or how to market a small business, but I hope that the lessons I am learning about trusting the Lord, carrying my heart and burdens to Him, and doing my best to shine bright for Him are lessons that can encourage you in your growth too.

So if you're new here, thanks for being here and going on this messy journey that's really about growing and living for the Lord. And if you've been here from the beginning, thanks for growing with me and being gracious, because I've always found growth to be a bit messy.

What's something you're trying to grow in or learn? Reply to this email (or any of my newsletters!) and let me know. I love hearing from you!

~Isabel Grace

P.S. I'm still working on the new birth month flower collection and I'm SO excited about it! If you want to get on the VIP list and get first access to the collection when it drops and updates, you can sign up HERE.

Also, the print club letters are going out today or tomorrow! Be on the look out for your letter! If you want to join the print club or learn more about getting a handwritten letter of encouragement and artwork every month, you can check it out HERE.