It is time to think about changing your passion hobby into a full time or part time gig.
When this happens:

When your friends have asked you if they could purchase some of your paintings.

When you try to squeeze painting time into any time slot possible, i.e. before work, after work, before meals, after meals, weekends or just anytime possible.

When your paintings can earn you extra income for vacation or emergency funds.

When you apply for art shows, your artwork get accepted, not just one piece of artwork got chosen but multiple pieces.

When you know your skills are more than adequate. 

When your full time job is starting to kill your spirit.  

When painting is the only thing you think about constantly, it is like you were spell bound by a Love Arrow except it is the Art Arrow!

If you agree with most of the above statements, I believe it is time to transform your passion into a part time or full time gig. 
I remember when I started painting, it was the best feeling I have ever had and to this day I still can't describe the euphoria that I get when I am painting. It gives me a sense of purpose, a challenge and it also provides me with a self reliant happiness. Painting in general just makes me feel like I am doing the right thing, my life purpose, my calling.

So here is the question: Do you want to make your Painting hobby into a business or even a side hustle?
And if the answer is YES then the best thing to do is to start asking yourself a few important questions, this way you can ensure that you are on the right track on making your dream into a reality.

Can you afford to be a painter right now and make a living from it?

Do you have to keep your full time job at the moment and build a side hustle with your passion?

What are you planning to sell? Original paintings? Cards? Prints? Art Gifts?

At what price range would you like to sell your product?

Which platform would you like to build your website on? 

Which Social Media platform would you like to drum attention up for your art?

Would you like to open an art gallery?

Apply for gallery representation?

Showcase your work in Co-op?

or solely sell your work Online?

Perhaps you would like to do some Wholesale shows and sell your prints and art through gift shops?

As you can see there is a lot of things to think about before taking the plunge. But there is also a lot of ways to sell your art. And I do encourage you to think about your passion and if you want to make it into a business, answer those questions that I have set up for you and see if you can come up with a strategic plan to make it all happen.

This is the path I took.
I have been in your shoes, 18 years ago my painting career started out as a side hustle, I was selling my art through galleries and shows. 6 years later, in 2007 my husband, Paul and I opened our own gallery and I became a full time artist.

All I know is that, after 12 years of being a full time artist, I have never regretted taking the plunge I have no regrets even if it is challenging at times. I think if it is in your bones, it will stand the truth of time and you will ripped the benefits, the highs and lows of being a full time artist.

And most of all you have the courage to do something that is unconventional and solely for your passion and that says a lot about you as a person and also for the importance of art and what it represents in this world.

I wish you all the best in your endeavors, if you have any questions in regards to starting a side hustle or a full time gig with your art, please feel free to ask. I will be writing more on this topic in the next few weeks and I can answer those questions for you on my blog. Take care my friends and I wish you a productive and creative day!

With Honor, in Mind and in Spirit,
Ting xoxo

"If you are serious about changing your life, you'll find a way. If you are not, you'll find an excuse." Jane Sincero.

Hello Friends,  I painted The Parade IV when my husband and I found ourselves in an unfavorable situation where we needed to pivot our course. You see Paul and I love adventures and since we own a business together we bring our business along to wherever our hearts desire.

We have moved our business 7 times
For the 20 years that we have been in business, Paul and I have moved the business 7 times, all the way from the Caymans to Golden, B,.C. Canada. The feat was never small, although when we were a very small business it was definitely much easier. But as we grow as a business our move has become a lot more complicated. Most of the times when we make a move it is usually because we want to better our lives and the sustainability of our business. 

The Sustainability of our Art gallery
We are fortunate enough that each place that we have moved to, we were able to make a living and more but since we focused on small towns, the business' life line can be very sensitive and when bad economy hits a small town, it is no funny business, you need to act fast or sit around and be doomed. So with one of our many moves, we found ourselves in a town with so much social problems that our minds were boggled with worries and disappointments. BTW we did do our due diligence but by experience I have to say no matter how much research you do on a town, you won't know the underlining problems until you moved there.

The grief was such a shock 
I remember it like it was yesterday, the grief I felt when Paul and I opened our brand new gallery in our new town on our first day, we had never dealt with a situation that was so unpleasant and disparaged. So back to the painting above as you can see on this painting, the elephant is pulling my husband, Paul and I and our imaginary pets out of the storm.

If you are unhappy with your life, do something about it
Hence the reason why this quote by Sincero resonates with me. So listen my friends if you have ever get yourself in a situation that is not serving you well, you need to come up with a solution that is going to get yourself out of harm's way and get yourself into a place where you can continue to grow and be happy.
We are responsible for our destiny and we need to be mindful about our lives. For me it is quite obvious, I either make the changes that are necessary no matter how difficult it is or else I need to shut up about it.
​
No Guts! No Glory!
Seriously, it is similar to that "No guts, No Glory!" saying. So my friends, whatever it is that is not serving you well anymore, do something about it. Don't just sit around and complain because it will get you no where. Plus all that negative energy is just going to brew into a much bigger problem in the long run.
When was the last time you found yourself in a bad situation and how did you get yourself out of harm's way. I would love to hear about it. <3 Please leave me a comment or email me, I am here as your sounding board. 

With Honor, in mind and in spirit,
Ting  xoxo

Hello Everyone, the last few blogs I have been talking about humanity which is a topic that I am very passionate about. The other passion that I have a great interest in is ART, since you are on my website I am sure you are aware of that.

My other calling is to encourage creatives, like you to produce work and to help you along on your journey. Here, I  have created a video to teach you how to produce a large body of work. It is not as difficult as you think, it just needs a little strategic planning.

One of the easiest way to create a substantial portfolio is create work in Series. For example I have six series that I work with: Artist Dairy, Romance, Sisterhood, Seasons, Landscape and Animals. And just recently I have also started the Iconic Women Series.

The best thing for you to do is to find where your interest lies, if you love landscape then start with that topic and build from there. You will be amazed how quickly your portfolio will grow just by working in batches. With a large portfolio of work, you will be set to approach galleries and shows. Or if you have an entrepreneurial spirit like me, you can open your own gallery.

Enjoy the video if you have any questions please feel free to leave me a comment, I would love to hear from you. 

With honor in mind and in spirit,
​Ting xoxo