Red and white floral painting No 140

Acrylic on panel, 5×7, floral
Available here
Small to large prints of this painting available here

Art is when you hear a knocking from your soul — and you answer.
Terri Guillemets

I’ve avoided discussing this publicly, but there’s been something weighing heavily on my mind, and it’s causing me a great deal of stress, and anxiety. In two weeks, I’m shutting down my businesses for an unknown amount of time. It could be for a day or it could be for 6 months. I wish I could be more specific, but at the moment, I can’t because I have no idea myself.

All I can tell you is I’ve been summoned for jury duty from January 8th until June 20 something..I don’t have the paperwork in front of me at the moment. From what I understand, you’re not allowed to work while you’re serving because they want your full attention on the case at hand. That will mean shutting down all FIVE of my online shops – two Etsy shops, my Daily Paintworks shop, my new Made Urban shop, and the one I have here on my site. Plus, I won’t be updating my blog for 6 months. 

I know this will sound selfish, but putting aside that it’s my civic duty, and all..I’m seriously worried what that kind of absence will do to my business. I don’t have a normal job with a normal paycheck to go back to when this is over. I’ve had to work day and night, for years, hustling and sacrificing to build my business up to what it is today. Poof! It will all be gone soon..all 2000+ listings. I don’t want to think of the thousands of dollars I’ll lose in that timespan..or how I’ll pay my bills or eat. That, and I honestly have no idea how I can go that long without painting, without being creative. It seems impossible to me because I live and breathe art. I can’t fathom not being allowed to work. I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but I’m a workaholic..it’s all I do. Six months without touching a palette knife?? It will be absolute hell. 

So, yeah..my mind is racing with all these thoughts and concerns. In the meantime, I have custom orders that I need to get done, and I feel very rushed at this point. I’ll definitely be working through the holidays with little or no family time. I just got a contract in my inbox to sign for a local business, haven’t had time to read it yet, but it’s for work I haven’t started yet. So yeah..S T R E S S E D to the max. I have no idea if I can pull all this off in two weeks. The thought of leaving things undone until June doesn’t sit well with me in the least. :/ 

Soooo, I thought it’s time to let you guys know what’s going on. I will continue to blog everyday until January 7th, but my posts will probably be very short from here on out. I won’t have time to write.