Spring is HERE!
It went from summer-like warmth to freezing to summer-like warmth in a matter of weeks!
Along with warmer temps comes Spring Break! We are a hot destination for families to visit and dip their toes in the Gulf! The Shard Shop gets uber busy, and the gallery sees familiar faces as well! I had a chance to spend a couple of hours in the gallery while Mario ran an errand for me. I can’t say I’m at my gallery very often. I’m usually tucked away in my home studio, creating art as much as possible!
I love it there! It’s heaven on earth!
While at my gallery, there was a steady stream of people coming in! Many were fans of mine that I never knew about! One was Daphne. She had emailed me months ago telling me how I had changed her life.
Mary,
I have never met you but I want you to know what a positive impact you have had on me over the last year.
I am a first grade teacher in Gulf Breeze, just about an hour from you. I have always loved being creative but have not found the right way of channeling my energy. About 2 years ago, I saw a piece of art that was inspired by one of your followers. I was in awe and couldn’t get the art out of my mind. I spend hours searching online to try to find something similar. God works in amazing ways. I had also started praying that God would make clear to me what he wanted me to do and I would follow his direction. It left me with a huge desire to learn more. I ordered your online classes and beginner kit. Last spring I made my first piece with your kit. I had this huge passion for your art and know God would show me my purpose. I also started volunteering once a week with my church’s Respite group. My 10 year old daughter and I fell in love with the adults with disabilities we were working with. I then decided to start making the art to benefit these amazing people. My daughter, Emma, and I call our benefit “Blessed and Broken Creations”. We started selling the art at our school in early December. Between selling at school and through the respite group, we have been able to raise over $1,000 to donate to this amazing group.
We are going to continue to do the same. I am hoping to make a trip to your shop soon and hopefully will get to meet you. I hope to have the opportunity to learn from you and possible take a class. I know I have so much to learn and am so excited about this new venture.
I just want you to know what a huge influence you have been to me and that you will continue to inspire me and help make a difference to so many people.
Thank You!
Well, as fate would have it, in walked Daphne and her daughter! She was in tears! I loved hearing their story, and in a way, I needed to hear it! These past few months of uber-biz-growth is stressful and non-creative. It’s hard to balance the two.
I was praying for strength and courage to continue what I do! Many more people came in that day to tell me how I inspired them, or how they loved a piece I made for them etc. The last person that I met that day was someone who had never heard of me, and had never seen my work or anything close to it. She told me she was blown away. She said “How did you come up with this? This is amazing! And the classes…” I said that I’m a glass artist that started painting…then I started teaching..then I rambled on and on. She summed it up..”So, you threw the first pebble in the water…” And I said, “Yes! And the ripple effect has been like a tsunami!”
Peace
Mary