Simply wanted to pop in and say hello. I hope everyone’s summer has gotten off to a great start and it has been filled with family, friends, and creativity. A couple of months ago I exited due to received some devastating news. My mother-in-law, who has been like a second mum to me, was diagnosed with stage 3 multiple myeloma and as a result she is now in stage 4 kidney failure. My husband, me, and our sons, have taken on the roles of caregivers and it has been difficult, and heart wrenching. As with all things there is a natural balance. Shortly after receiving the diagnosis, our oldest and his wife found out they are expecting their second child in October. I truly believe this is the sole reason my mother-in-law is holding on so fiercely. She wants to meet her new great grandchild. Creating has always been my therapy. It has gotten me through events in my life that I otherwise would not have survived. Recently that was not an option due to caring for mum. She asked me a couple of weeks ago why I was not painting and I simply answered, “I have more important things to do.” And I smiled while secretly trying not to cry. Apparently that was the wrong answer and she lectured me in her half English, half Baltic voice I so love. “Help me make something for our new sweet maza.” I had bought fabric already to make a new quilt for my grand baby, but had not started it yet. Mum suggested I create a piece of furniture to match. I went on line to show her the fabric I had ordered and she took it from there. She told me what she wanted and I searched. We ended up buying the cabinet off FBMP, paint and all related supplies that day. It’s still a work in progress but I hope to have in completed in the next week or so. I want her stamp of approval. All of us are supposed to be taking care of her, yet she knew what I needed to get through this - and gave it to me. I can’t express how much I love this woman and how fortunate I feel to have had the amazing in-laws I gained when I married my husband.

I am so glad to be here amongst creatives! I found skool via wanting to learn to do YT. I love to create, I am just starting creating with paint, after a long hiatus! I need to hang with other creatives and this skool group is filling that need! I have two YT channels, a faith based channel I post weekly on and a channel I started to post art related videos on. I found I am not a tutorial creator, so that channel has not been given much attention. However, this week I pulled out the paints, cut up some cardboard and filmed in time-lapse some critters I painted! I may have discovered a new way to film and it has given me a new desire to get creative with paint! Here is a time-lapse of me painting on cardboard. I made these little magnets to give away to fellow campers at the camp ground we are staying at!

Welcome to this weekend’s meeting of: 🎭 Unfinished Projects Anonymous Hi, my name is Kelly… and I have 17 projects staring at me right now. (That's not business projects either) Some feel fun. Some feel like they’d immediately relieve that low-key hum of overwhelm. So I’ve decided… 🎲 I’m spinning the wheel of creativity 💫 checking in with flow 🎨 and choosing one to play with today Because creativity isn’t about finishing… it’s about exploring, experimenting, and following the spark before it disappears… like your motivation on Monday morning. So instead of asking: “What should I finish?” Try asking: “What do I feel like playing with?” Today... I'm playing with an Easter-inspired collaboration created with @Connie Beaty That one tiny shift? It takes overwhelm out back… and hands the brush back to joy. Roll call 👇 How many unfinished projects are currently judging you? (No shame. Multi-passionate people don’t just survive in chaos… we decorate it.) 😏✨

A while ago Kelly asked about W.I.P. projects. I mentioned a cart I was building, but didn't have photos. So, here is the "Janky Shop Project" cart/table. Made from 100% salvaged materials. An old shipping crate, some pallet wood and the wheels of a wagon I found on the curb. Some gray paint and a bit of green stain, both purchased at the Re-store. She isn't pretty, but she is does what she is supposed to do

Let’s have a little Creative AF reality check this week. Because if you’re anything like most of us in here, your brain probably looks something like this: • 12 new ideas • 6 unfinished projects • 3 things you started at 2am • 1 random supply purchase you’re not sure why you bought • and a voice in your head saying “I should really be doing something productive…” So this week’s theme is simple: Creative Permission. Not perfection. Not productivity Olympics. Just permission to create. Here are 5 things every Creative AF human should remember this week: 1. Your ideas are not a to-do list. They’re a menu. You don’t have to cook everything today. Pick one thing that sounds delicious and make a mess. 2. Done is better than “still thinking about it.” A messy finished thing will teach you more than a perfect idea sitting in your head. Your creativity needs movement, not more overthinking. 3. Play counts as creating. Doodling. Testing colors. Trying something weird. All of that is creative fuel. You’re not wasting time. You’re loading the inspiration cannon. 4. Your style evolves by creating, not waiting. Nobody discovers their voice by staring at a blank canvas. You find your style by making things and thinking: “Ooo… I like THAT part.” Then doing more of that. 5. The creative spark needs oxygen. If you’re feeling stuck, try one tiny shift: • new colors • different tools • music you normally wouldn’t play • creating somewhere new • or making something completely ridiculous Sometimes the fastest way forward is sideways. Your Creative AF Challenge This Week Create something small. Not something perfect. Not something sellable. Not something strategic. Just something that makes your brain go: “Okay that was fun.” Then come back here and share it with us. Because around here we celebrate: • messy starts • weird experiments • happy accidents • and creative courage So… What are you making this week? Drop it in the comments or share a photo when you're done.