Last night my husband and I arrived home from a week long 20 year anniversary trip to San Diego. I really wasn’t sure what to expect. Mahmood, being the researcher that he is, made the final decision. I really didn’t care. I wanted to get away and I wanted to be with him! But last night I had this crazy realization. We hired an Uber driver to pick us up from the airport at midnight so that my mother who was watching our boys didn’t have to come and get us. Here’s the crazy thing…just a short few years ago my husband was in the other seat of that car. Meaning, he was the driver, up until crazy hours of the night, trying to make a few extra bucks for his family. Just a short few years ago a getaway to celebrate 2 decades of marriage seemed like a pipe dream. Just a short few years ago this mama was picking up furniture off the side of the road to give a facelift then turn around and sell for grocery money. Quite honestly, we are still in shock on how things have turned around for our family. But one day we realized that where my art was going needed to be monetized. We tried different things in order to sell including social media, outdoor festivals, and indoor gallery openings. All of those have helped us along our journey, and I know many of you have done well enough in these areas to sustain your own art journey.
Once we were in the Charleston City Market things began turning around for us. We had enough. We weren’t sweating the bills. We had a little more to travel and pick dreams back up that we had shelved and even contribute to ministries we personally care about. We continue to plan and work toward expanding and diversifying our business. We are still working to catch up on the things that several years of financial challenges created. But we are now moving in the right direction.
Success for everyone is different. There are patterns and tips and there is knowledge, but everyone’s journey is different. Our story is unique to us, as your story is unique to you. Wherever you find yourself today on your journey, I encourage you to look back and see where you have come. Have you overcome things that have burdened you? Established healthier relationships? You may not quite be to the “there” that you want to be at, but you are here! That tells me you have grown, you have learned, you have a story to tell! Let’s celebrate our successes together today, big and small. And I’m here cheering you on for tomorrow’s successes and victories!