Are you creative? I said for years, I don’t have a creative bone in my body! But, I always loved to do crafts of any kind. I have done crochet, knitting, paper mache, and decoupage before it was cool. Most of these I did when I was very young. As I got older I just seemed to lose my confidence and think I just wasn't good at anything.
What I have found is that as we get older we start looking around at what others are doing. We start comparing ourselves and our work. And somehow, we just aren’t as good as everyone else. This is a demon I have to fight on a daily basis. What I’ve realized is that we’re all different. We have to be ourselves and do what we feel.
I have to say, I have painted many pieces of furniture, and thought this is just not as good as …… But it sells, so someone else thought it was good. You just don’t know until you try. And…practice, practice, practice! You can’t get enough practice. The pieces I paint now are completely different from when I first started. These are some of my first pieces. They did sell but they are completely different from what I do now.
When I first started I think I was looking for my niche. And if you’re unfamiliar with the word niche, it kind of means my specialty. Most of my pieces now are neutral tones with a little sass thrown in. Like gold gilding wax or some kind of decorative waxes. Occasionally, I do an artsy piece just to satisfy my wild side. But these pieces take a special buyer and you may have to sit on it for a while.
When painting furniture I have to take into consideration what sells in my area. Currently, I don’t ship so I have to think about what people like here. Farmhouse is extremely popular, and white seems to always sell. However, there is a population that loves color. I love color but I know most people don’t want all of their furniture to be colored. And, sometimes when I see a piece I just know I can’t paint it at all.
True antiques should be restored to their natural state or left alone completely. I do believe in keeping the history of antiques intact. I think that's important.
But, back to being creative. I think creativity is like a muscle, when you work it, it grows. And I believe we all have that muscle. Whether it’s painting furniture, pottery, crochet, or whatever your creative outlet is, you get better the more you do it. If you never use it you never know… And, even if you don’t want to sell your creations, it’s relaxing and helps your mind just wander and forget all the craziness in the world today. It makes me a better, wife, mother, and person, I believe.
If you are looking for something to help you in your creative journey, please check us out at Timeless Treasures in Oxford, AL or, on our website at Nottooshabbyal.com. We carry Fusion Mineral Paint, Milk Paint, Iron Orchid Designs Stamps, Transfers, and Moulds. We also carry SALTWASH. And you never know what we might add in the future!
If you enjoyed reading this blog please subscribe to our website at Nottooshabbyal.com and join our email list. I send emails once a week or when I have an announcement. I will let you know if we have something new coming to the booths, like a new piece, new IOD or new Fusion paint colors, and workshop schedules. You will be the first to know. You can also catch us on our Facebook page at Nottooshabby1961 and Instagram at Nottooshabby.al Please join us on our Facebook page on Sunday nights at 6:30 pm CST fofor Neal and I live and Whimsical Wednesday at 1:00 pm CST, when I do my own live. We walk you through paint processes and working with IOD products. We have a lot of fun and you get to learn how to use the products!
Thank you for your support! We appreciate you so much. Please feel free to contact us at Nottooshabbyal@gmail.com with any questions you have regarding the products we sell. I’m glad to help in any way I can.
Kathy & Neal