artfully living the handmade life

I'm a thinker. I think long and hard about things before I act. To the onlooker, it may appear that I make spur of the moment decisions and act on a whim but that's only because I've already labored internally over the decision. Then once ready, I act decisively.

On more than one occasion and by more than a few people I've been told, "Stop overthinking it" or "You're over analyzing!" I can see how that tendency can get out of hand but it is also a strength of my personality when kept in check. How do I know if my thinking and analysis are in check? If it never leads to a definitive decision and if it contributes to "analysis paralysis," then I consider that to be unchecked. That's when I just need to make a decision already!

I've done a lot of thinking, and what may appear as "over analyzing," when it comes to my art business. Finally, I'm taking steps to "grow up" Coastal Color Art. A lot has already changed in seven days! I'll spare you the details but along with "growing up" comes "growing pains." Just this morning as I was getting ready for the day, I thought, "What am I doing? I'm in my fifties and I'm growing a business?!" That's when I told myself, "You're doing this because you want the freedom and creative expression that comes from working for yourself, young old lady, so keep moving forward."

I'll close with this  C.S. Lewis quote that a friend posted on Facebook this morning.

"Every time you make a choice you are turning the central  part of you, the part of you that chooses, into something a little different than it was before." - C.S. Lewis 

Each choice I've made to grow up my business in the past week has contributed to "turning Coastal Color Art (and myself) into something a little different than it was before." I believe this "turning" is good.

So cheers to growing up, moving forward and "artfully living the handmade life!"

artfully yours,
Melanie