Over the past several months, people have asked me why I started this business. There are many reasons so I figured that would be a good way to start my blog.
It’s my passion. It’s my therapy. It is fun. It is creative. It is never the same. It is colorful. It makes people smile. It fills my heart. And I can share it with others and make them smile, too.
While between jobs and contract marketing gigs, I started painting again to fill up my time and to make me feel less crappy about not having a job. Then the pandemic hit. So I kept painting. I had a box of inherited silver-plated pieces (trays, bowls, platters, etc.) that were tarnished beyond repair and had been sitting in storage boxes for decades. Several pieces were set aside for family members, but the pieces that had no intrinsic or sentimental value were waiting to be donated to thrift stores. In my garage. For months. One day I felt inspired and painted a large flower on one of the trays, sprayed it with a clear, protective coating, and then hung it on the fence in my back yard. Voila! Yard Art! Then I came across an oversized, heavy tray that had belonged to my grandmother. After collecting dust for years on my china buffet, I decided to box up the matching tea service for a while and make a little change to my home décor. Trying to polish the tray before wrapping it, it just wouldn’t come clean. So I decided to paint that, too. My grandmother would be so proud of the creativity (her husband, son, and grandson – my grandfather, uncle, and brother – also loved to paint, but more about them in a future blog). That tray is now attached to my fence as well.
I posted my creations on Facebook and my family shared the post for more exposure. A friend of my husband requested a butterfly-painted rock as a memorial gift for a friend who recently lost her cat. That friend really appreciated the personalized, hand-painted stone that brought her a long-distance smile. My daughter also requested a painted bird on a rock for her bird-enthusiast friend. That friend loves it and said it has been her best birthday present ever, with its unique and personal touch.
Then the business started taking off. Requests were coming in every week, with flourishing new ideas.
And I continue to grow. I’ve expanded with a website, a social media presence, some consignment items in a gift shop, and now a blog. Thanks for sharing my journey. Stay tuned for more tales as I continue to evolve. And paint.
For more information, visit colorfulcreationsbycheryl.com. Can I turn something into beautiful yard art for you? Can I paint a customized rock as a memorial for a loved one? Do you want a unique gift but don’t know exactly what to get? Let’s come up with some great ideas together.