I've been thinking a lot lately about what success actually looks like. And the older I get, the more I realize that, for me, it has very little to do with things. One of my very favorite songs in the world is "Simple Life" by The Weepies. I heard this song back in 2011, and it has been a favorite ever since because the words of the song are the life I desire.
I don't really care about fancy possessions, big homes, designer clothing, or having the biggest business in the room. What I care about is time. Time with my family. Time with my friends. Time to nurture relationships, go on adventures, create beautiful things, and just enjoy the life I'm working so hard to build.
I decided this year to invest in myself through various business trainings. Last week, I took a class from a woman I've admired for a long time. She's an incredibly successful business owner, but what I admire most about her isn't the size of her company. It's how intentional she is with her time.
She's built this massive business, yet she's incredibly protective of her afternoons with her children. And that resonates with me so much. She is very open about being done at 3 PM to pick up her kids, which aligns fully with how I try to live.
I want to be the one picking him up, hearing about his day, showing up for school functions, and being there when he needs me. And I'm willing to work incredibly hard during the hours I have available to make that happen.
Side note: Please know that there is ZERO judgment from me toward moms who want, or do not want, to do this. To each their own. We’re all different. We all have different living situations.
So when this woman offered a class about how she structures her calendar, I signed up immediately.
And the biggest takeaway I had was that, every single day, the single most protected part of her day is a two-hour block dedicated entirely to creativity. Every. Single. Day.
For her, that means thinking about business strategy and developing ideas that move her company forward. And initially, I thought, okay, that's what I need to do too. But my truth was that my creative time needs to be spent actually creating. Making art.
I made a decision that day that every weekday, I'm blocking off two hours to make artwork. No emails, no operations, no marketing, no answering texts. Just making art. And oh my gosh, it has been AMAZING.
In just this short amount of time, I've made more progress on a coastal wallpaper collection I've been dreaming about than I have in what feels like forever. And I'm so proud of where it's headed.
Here's something you might not know. Between 2020 and 2022, I went through several surgeries. And I remember one particular moment, right before going under anesthesia, when one of my surgeons asked me a question. He knew I was an artist, and he wanted to know if I could create custom wallpaper for his home.
At the time, I was recovering from surgeries, we were going through the adoption process, and I was trying to get a relatively new business off the ground. So I told him that there was no way I could. Custom wallpaper was the last thing I could imagine adding to my plate.
But I've thought about that conversation for FOUR YEARS. And now, after years of requests for wallpaper and textiles, I'm finally making room for it. I'm working on a coastal wallpaper collection, and I cannot wait to share it with you. And who knows, maybe one day I will start creating custom wallpaper for homes.
Getting Back to What I Do Best
This season has also made me think about the direction of my business. I've made some significant changes this year, and I'm continuing to simplify what I offer.
For three years, my products were carried in thousands of stores across the country. And while I'm incredibly grateful for that chapter, I've realized that bigger isn't necessarily better for the life I want to live.
Today, I'm much more intentional about the retailers I partner with, especially museums. I absolutely LOVE working with museums. There's something so special about creating artwork and products that connect people to history, nature, and the places that mean something to them.
On the retail side, I'm focusing more and more on wall art, and soon, wallpaper. And don't worry, the note cards aren't going anywhere. I learned that lesson when we tried removing them before. Y'all had some feelings about that! Ha!
But the bigger picture is that I'm trying to simplify. I’m not any less ambitious; I'm just getting clearer about what I want to spend my time doing.
Why Handmade Art Matters So Much to Me
I don't use AI to generate my artwork. I don't draw my designs on an iPad. I don't use Procreate. I draw and paint by hand. This takes a lot of time, but I believe in the process because there is something truly special about artwork created that way.
When you make something by hand, I truly believe a little piece of your soul goes into it. And when someone brings one of my prints into their home, they're bringing a little piece of me with it. That's not something I take lightly.
I want to make something that makes you FEEL something. Maybe it's one of my Alabama prints, and it reminds you of growing up in a small Southern town. I grew up in Nectar, Alabama, and so much of my childhood was spent outside. Building forts in the woods, watching my dad work, learning about wildlife, and exploring nature.
Those memories are such a huge part of who I am. And I want my artwork to bring those kinds of memories back for you. Maybe it's a blue crab that reminds you of summers spent along the Gulf Coast. Or a cardinal that holds some special meaning.
For me, blue herons have always seemed to appear during particularly challenging seasons of my life. Almost like a little reminder to keep going, even when I don't have all the answers.
That's the kind of connection I want my art to create.
And I think that's what I'm meant to keep making.
Building a Life I Actually Want to Live
All of this has made me realize that I don't necessarily need to do more; I just need to make more room for the things that matter. More room for relationships, for creativity, for the work that feels most meaningful, and more room to just be.
I've even felt a strong pull to go through The Artist's Way again, a 12-week creative recovery program I've done before that encourages you to reconnect with your creativity and listen to that inner voice. It feels like so many little things are pointing me in the same direction right now.
Slow down. Create. Trust yourself. Be brave enough to continue moving forward.
I have been asking myself a lot lately if my future self would be happy with the life I’m building today. Would she? Because when I look at her, I don’t see more stuff or a bigger house or a bigger company. I see peace, stability, love, confidence, and adventure. I see more time outside, more memories, and more beautiful things created with my own hands. Those things feel like success to me, and those are the goals I will chase.
