" To me, success is making a positive difference through art - making art that affects the world and that changes the way people feel about themselves and the world." Kat Grahan

Hi Friends, thank you for allowing me to visit your inbox every week. I enjoy sending inspirations your way. 
 
You see, I believe that daily positive thinking is viable for a fulfilling life.
 
Did you know before I was a painter, I was working in the service industry? I wore many hats, from serving to managing to a wine sommelier. The industry did not provide my creative soul the satisfaction that my spirit wanted, but it allowed Paul, my husband, and I to live on Cayman Island. He and I moved there as soon as we got married!
 
Unfortunately, one fateful day under the big blue sky of the Caribbean island, my best friend, Paul was injured in a car accident. Our life became wallowed in the great blue sky of pain. Instantly, our life dreams and plans crumbled. The two of us felt despaired, discouraged, and stressed.
 
Paul yearned for me to start painting because he knew it was something that I wanted to do for a very long time, and intuitively he knew it was going to help me to reclaim my sanity.
 
And that is how I started my journey as a painter. As soon as I opened my first tube of paint, painting became my therapy, and that is how my Artist Diary series was born. I painted every spare minute that I could find, and I became obsessed.
 
The joy of painting crafted me a life of self-kindness, it awakened my spirit, and it became a heart-led approach to healing. As I heal, Paul did as well.
 
I am aware that no one has a perfect life, and we all have our own stories to tell, so that is the reason why I paint about life, aspirations, and inspirations. I painted these stories because they helped me to lift my spirit, and when I decided to share my art with the world, the universe brought you to me.
 
Through my art journaling, we share a connection between kindness and possibility, and we helped each other through our darkest hours.
 
Your life may have many life events that are similar to mine, and that is how we find our common grounds. I am forever grateful that through my painting journey, we found each other.
 
This year has been challenging for all of us, and a dose of positive reminders or manifesto is needed, and that is the reason why Paul and I have recently included the painting, Sky's the Limit to our private collection. 

You see, during the last few years of transformation, Paul and I have looked at this painting everyday, she reminded us that our potential to true happiness was limitless. Her message and the manifestation of growth that she brought to us was undeniable.
 
So my friends, when you choose a piece of artwork that you want to live with for years to come, remember it is so much more than what matches your interior design or couch.
 
Choose wall art that reinforces positivity and growth. One that sets the tone for positive living to your life, afterall you have to live with it every day, so why not let your wall decor do more than ecstatic benefit.
 
Let your chosen print or painting be the healer and motivator of your life.
 
The world as you know it may not be ideal, but it is your responsibility to make your life as positive as possible, and sometimes that is to surround yourself with art that reminds you of beauty and goodness in the world.
 
This week, I have created a compilation of artwork that has made a difference in my life, to view the paintings and stories, please scroll down.
 
I would also like to know, which of my artwork has spoken to you with light and encouragement and which one brings you transformation. I would be deeply grateful if you would share your comments below.
 
With Creative Joy,
Ting xo

British Columbia provided our Art Business with endless beauty, but the connection we have with you, our art tribe is what drove our inspiration.
 
Hello friends, I have to say the last time when Paul and I drove away from B.C., which was about a month ago, it was heartfelt.
 
As we dove through the mountainous terrain, we reminisced about our past with fondness.
 
During our time in British Columbia, Paul and I have hiked, skid, and snowshoed countless mountains, we've also crossed many rivers by foot, rode our bikes in the forest, and hung out on our raft on many lakes. It is truly a nature lover's paradise.
 
British Columbia has been nothing but short of magical for Paul and me. We have grown tremendously as a couple and spiritually.
 
In business, we have pursued many challenges and our little Art Rush Gallery has grown in size and has become a mighty little business.
 
Both of us, want to take this time to give our gratitude to British Columbia, a place that has blessed our art business with a tremendous amount of growth.
 
We would also like to thank you, for visiting and connecting with us at our gallery in various B.C. locations. You have given us the chance to grow and prosper as artists. We appreciate you, for endorsing your trust in our business.
 
Paul and I will always be grateful for the time we have had in this beautiful province and for all the people we have met there.
 
You may have walked into our Art Rush Gallery or found us on Social Media by chance, but we believe it was our good fortune and fate that brought us together.
 
Both of us have always said that, we have the best customers and friends because we believe in similar things, respect for nature, creativity, and humanity. Our appreciation goes to British Columbia for bringing us together in the most magnetic way.
 
The two of us, are excited about our new beginning in Nova Scotia. Distance is not a factor, as with today’s technology, keeping in touch is a breeze.
 
We look forward to sharing more of our creations with you very soon. (And the speed of doing that, depends on how quickly our unpacking of the house is coming along.) LOL!

Take care and stay safe everyone. 
 
With Creative Joy,
Ting and Paul

Hello there,
Most of us do suffer from self-confidence. It is prevalent in the world.

I grew up without my parents since I was 7, so most things I have learned in life at a very young age is about survival. I faked myself through school, self-confidence, bullying, racism, you name it, but I was independent and courageous, or perhaps I was just blissfully ignorant.

What my independence taught me is that our mind is a powerful tool. Whatever we believe in becomes our reality.

Years ago, when I've decided that I was going to make a living from my art. My only support system was my husband, Paul. He believed in my art, and was and still is my biggest fan, even when I was completely unsure of what my outcome would be.

When the opportunity to open our own "Art Gallery" presented itself, we did just that. 
 
As I reflect back, when Paul and I took the leap of faith to open our own art gallery, what got us there, was courage not so much confidence.

But I wanted to be a successful working artist so badly that I wasn't going to give up the opportunity to become one when it was time to prove that I can.

I believe confidence is earned by doing things that you are afraid of, or have no knowledge about, but you do it anyway and that takes Courage. 

For example, if Paul and I didn't stick our necks out there, to feel the discomfort of opening our first art gallery and me, having to be the face of the business, I wouldn't be here today to tell the story and to encourage you to explore the possibility.

Courage plays an enormous role in the success of our business, confidence came later.

So, my creative friend, it doesn't matter how you grow up or what you went through in life. It is up to you as an individual to find a way to gain confidence.

If you want to be a successful artist or entrepreneur, you have to believe that it is possible, but you need to build your courage to become just that because your mind creates your reality.

Your upbringing may have shaped your lack of confidence, but if you want to, you have the power to change it. If you grew up with a lack of self-confidence and you self doubt yourself incessantly, doesn't mean you can't change that thought. And it doesn't mean that you will never be able to accomplish your goals.

Negative thoughts are perceptions, and they are not reality. They cripple us, and they make us question our self-worth.

Which, leads me to the importance of confidence. When you have self-confidence, it shows in the way you create your art, and it also shows how you represent yourself to your peers and your audience.

When you create, you have to trust your knowledge and intuition, but you also need the courage to make mistakes and learn from them.

Confidence takes positive self-reflection. Remember, your art is the way you see the world, which is a truly unique expression. You are the only one with that particular energy, and you are the only one that creates in that voice.

So how do you compare yourself with others? If you think your art is not good enough, the only way to combat that is to keep practicing. With practice, you can get better and better, as your craft improves, so will your confidence.

Confidence is something that you need to do for yourself. It is essential for your livelihood and, you must work at it.

As an artist, you need to be resilient. You are incredibly brave to put your art out to the world and let the world see you in the most vulnerable way. The art critics and your audience are going to react, the way they react is out of your control, but the way you let their words influence your thoughts is in your control.

I find construction criticism useful. It doesn't mean I am going to change the way I create, although if the advice is valid, I learn from it, and if it is not valid, I just let it be an opinion, it gets discarded.

So my fellow artist, keep your thought positive and discard the negative. Negative thoughts can become self-fulfilling prophecies. Do not be afraid to make mistakes. Mistakes can be your greatest asset, allow your mistakes to teach you on how to become a better artist.

Be a confident artist, in yourself and in the way you create art. When you are assertive, your aura will shine and, so will your art. The wonderful thing about self-confidence is that it is learnable because your mind is powerful.

P/S If you find this article helpful, I would really appreciate it, if you would share it with your friends and family, I will be forever grateful.

With Creative Joy,
Ting

Hi Friends, Goals are an essential part of life. They keep our minds active and creative, which is so good for our brain health. Goals and dreams also keep our curiosity open to new opportunities, which will supply us with endless inspiration to draw from, and that is nourishing for our soul.

If you are anything like me, you love to dream and follow through with it. If you love to dream but failed to accomplish it, it doesn't mean that you are not good enough for your dream or that you don't have it in you to see things through.

You may feel like you are a failure, but the truth is far from that. Trust me, the only part of the puzzle you are missing is actionable steps to bring you to the finish line.

I have created a guide that will help you to get to the finish line. There are only ten actionable steps that you need to take to bring you safely to your goal without stress.

You see, my friend, I have done a lot of uprooting since I was a kid, granted all decisions at that time were made by my parents, but they taught me to take risks in life at a very young age. I have learned that everything is possible from them.

But as I got older, I had a lot of dreams and goals, but I didn't have the formula to see them through.

I was frustrated, well I hate to say it, but I did feel like a loser. I thought I was going to go through life like a lost cause.

When I got older, I realized that dreams and goals are not obstacles if you break them down into bitesize pieces. They are all attainable if you are willing to go through the steps.

For those of you who know me well, know that my husband, Paul, and I have moved around from one province to the next, from town to town and country to country for the past 28 years. And since we have our Art Business, we had to set up our Art Gallery in variety of places that we've settled down.

We also traveled extensively, and just before the Pandemic, we have accomplished our four-month dream trip to Asia. Recently, our latest feat was to move across Canada (second time around) and purchased our dream home with the ocean view.

So when it comes to dreaming and accomplishing them, Paul and I are quite good at it, and I know you too, can be good at accomplishing your goal.

If you wish to know how we did it, I have created a step-by-step guide to bring you there. I have refined my steps along the way, and I think I finally got it down.

Sign up HERE for your 10 Strategic Steps to Accomplish your Goal  free guide, it will give you the know-how, courage and confidence to accomplish everything that you want in life.

With Creative Joy,
Ting