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154 year old Pennsylvania church converted to a home & artist workshop studio

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Hi everyone,

Just recently returned from an amazing two week trip to Arizona to spend some time with my grandchildren. The weather was lovely, the light was incredible for painting outside, and you know how they say you need to step back from things sometimes to really see them? That's just what happened to me in Arizona!

While I was busy getting creative my my granddaughter, Maggie, my mind was going nonstop on things back at The1870! My granddaughter is only eight, but I have to say, she has some amazing ideas. We love to talk while we're creating things and that darling little girl really is inspiring. We talked about workshops I did in September, workshops I'm doing in the future and making so many new friends along the way.

My problem, that isn't really a problem at all, it's a blessing, is that I have so many ideas at once, it's tough to stay focused. I have so many arts and crafts I love to do, I get easily distracted. But that really isn't a problem! It's a great thing. When we love doing something, whatever creative thing that might be, we need to be diverse and using different arts and crafts mediums is a wonderful way to make that happen. Maggie and I both agreed on this while organizing her craft closet and now, craft dresser.

So I'm going to embrace my love of all things arts and crafts, not think that it's a distraction anymore, but another journey on my creative path.

While Arizona is three hours behind Pennsylvania most of the year (they don't change their clocks!), my body was set on Eastern time, most of my mornings there. While the little ones still slept, I'd wake up and start working on my phone. There is so much business behind running a successful studio and another thing I've always told myself is that I hate the business side of it. You know, paperwork, email, and the worst thing that a professional artist or crafter has to deal with...SALES! I've always said that I hate selling my own work. Love selling others, hate selling mine. It feels like I'm bragging about it, or pushing it on people.

So from 3 am to 6 am, Arizona time, my phone would be glowing as I'd be doing the business of my business. It started to feel pretty amazing getting things done that I usually neglect or wait until the last minute to do. What was this feeling? Was I actually enjoying the business side of my studio? Yes, I was!!!

That started putting some really wonderful things in motion. It started me thinking about my business in a totally different light. It made me start thinking about enjoying the sale of my creations and what it really means when I sell something.

Any artist, starving or not, NEEDS to sell their work. The money is one of the reasons, but a really wonderful reason it's important to sell your artwork or crafts you make is because it gives you a real and tangible connection to that special person who bought it. Your work spoke so loudly to another human being, they pulled out their wallet and paid you for it! How lovely is that? That person will keep your work, or give it at a gift, but they heard your voice, your passion and you speaking loudly enough in it, they were willing to pay for it.

This realization in the desert is just what I needed. Like most artists, I struggle with pricing, undervalue my worth all the time, undervalue my creations all the time and never want to feel like I'm pushing myself or my art on anyone. The truth is, I don't have to and neither do you!

From this day forward, I'll make my art with my whole heart and soul, put the passion of creating something that is so special and one-of-a-kind in all that I do and lose the negative talk in my head I've carried with me for ages. Giving my work the voice it needs, I know it will call to it's rightful owner and they'll buy it. I love selling my art work because it connects me to you!

My goal is to connect globally with others who feel as passionate about life as I do, share this journey and never stop being swept away by new ideas, new materials, new places and new light.


Priscilla :)

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