This isn’t what we planned…………

This wasn’t what we planned…………

Today marks 4 years that we started this… and 4 years ago I had really ambitious dreams. It was going great, until I got very sick and then sick again and …. You get the point. Plan all you want. It doesn’t work for me… LOL

And this wasn’t part of the plan either. About a year ago, my wise daughter came up with an art challenge for every day in April as we were fully into our lockdown in a pandemic.  I had been painting pet portraits for to benefit non-profits alongside of my day job.  When my “day” job vanished, I was a little lost. The pandemic hit, and I started painting more. My daughter took note and created a daily challenge. It gave me purpose.

It also gave me hope, courage and mostly encouragement. People started asking to buy some of the art. Since Xtra Love was just “sitting” there, I ran some of the transactions thru it.

Some really great friends, that advised me said, this is what “this” thing is. Your art, your daughter’s art… “is” the product. I wrestled with it, even though it was already in motion.

Then 2 magical things happened.. Dan Levy came calling on one of my portraits and as fun and exciting as it was it still wasn’t working in my head with Xtra Love.

I was gaining momentum, getting confident, selling art but how would it work with xtralove.us? It wasn’t how I envisioned it. I mean, it had been about Anna Catherine's art ---not mine and Arabella's. 

But then,  the Touch Down Club of Dallas on behalf of the The Rise school of Dallas asked if we, the Paintress III would like to participate in a virtual art auction.

Omgoodness. What? Yes. Yes. Yes.

And yes. Because now I could see how Xtra Love would be a version of the original plan but not at all what I had planned for.

So even though I had big plan, no plan prepared me for a serious illness with a long recover, or a pandemic. 

I am glad I am not planner. My stuff never really goes according to plan and it turns out the other plan is probably better anyway.

So I want to thank you all again for your support. In this moment, we are doing it this way. Tomorrow? I have no idea. I am forced to live in the now and the now is really fun.

Happy World Down Syndrome Day and what is kind of our fourth anniversary even though we were dormant for a couple of them.

Please tell any friends that need/want art. We are abundant in art.

Much love on this day and Xtra Love every day……

Anna