My heart raced and I held my breath. I felt a flutter in my stomach as I sat down with a set of watercolors, some paper and a brush to paint for the first time.

It was November 2010. I was participating in Art Every Day Month, posting on my new blog. One of my posts that month sums up the experience:

I have to admit that it scared me. I really do not know what I am doing and I was afraid of messing it up, but instead of giving myself a chance to think, I sat down and started painting. The joy came from watching the paint do its thing. There were a few times when I thought, "Oh no! I've ruined it!" (ok, more strongly worded than that), but I just kept going.

I just kept going.

My early paintings were not great. Sitting down to paint for the first time did not reveal a hidden talent. But I kept painting.

I kept struggling to understand watercolor and to close the gap between what I yearned to see show up on the page and what actually did.

The act of putting brush to paper unlocked a dormant desire: to learn how to paint botanicals in watercolor.

And now it’s been a decade!

I’ve learned a lot over the past ten years. About painting. About business. About myself.

I’ve sold and exhibited my art, been published in magazines and a book, designed fabric and started teaching online.

None of that would have happened if I hadn’t taken those first tentative steps.

And then kept going.

This month I’m celebrating a decade of learning how to paint.

• My art is on sale all month long.

• I’m adding surprises to all my customers’ packages.

• I’m giving away gifts to my readers each week here on my blog (see below).

But more than any of that, I want this month of celebration to nudge you closer to your dreams.

One of my main goals for my blog is to encourage you.

To encourage you to find joy. To encourage you to embrace your creativity. To encourage you to reach for your dreams.

Taking the first tentative steps toward something new isn’t easy. It’s scary. What if we fail?

My journey has not been easy, but it’s been worth it. Yes, I’ve failed plenty of times along the way, but I’ve also succeed and I continually rediscover the joy of creativity.

What is it that you’re dreaming of?

When I set out to fashion a life around creativity, I didn’t have a clear picture of what that meant. I focused on sewing and crochet because they were familiar to me. I didn’t explicitly articulate that I wanted to paint botanical watercolors and I don’t think I even knew that’s what I wanted to do. Perhaps I was scared to admit it.

Maybe you feel that way, too. You exercise your creativity in safe ways but underneath there’s a dormant yearning to try something else. Something scary.

I know that feeling!

Fear.

What showed up on the page when I painted was often disappointing. When I sat down to paint I was nearly always afraid. I’d hold my breath. I’d work in short sessions. A single painting could take me weeks to finish because each day’s progress was so small.

But I didn’t give up.

I kept going.

And I’m so glad I did.

I hope this month you’ll spend some time listening to the longings your heart is whispering.

Sit with those longings and give them space to grow.

In the next few weeks I’ll be sharing lessons I’ve learned over the past ten years. To encourage you. To inspire you. To challenge you.

As part of my 10 year painting celebration, I just released a new class on Skillshare.

It’s called Beyond Beginner and in it I share the tips and techniques I wish I’d known when I was learning how to paint and feeling frustrated with watercolors. It’s my most personal class yet, honest and encouraging. I hope it will be helpful for you if you’re learning watercolor, too. (The reviews have been touching and the class has been chosen by Skillshare as a Staff Pick!).

So today to kick off the month of celebration, I’m giving away 10 free spots (just follow the link and if you’re one of the first 10 people, you’re in).

I’m also giving away this little painting:

For a chance to win, simply leave a comment below sharing one creative dream you’ve been putting off and what might you do to take your first steps toward it. I’ll announce the winner next Friday.

➨EDIT: The giveaway is now closed. Congratulations to Simone who won the maple seed painting!

Thank you.

Thank you for accompanying me on my journey. Thank you for reading my words. Thank you for encouraging me and cheering me on. Your support means so much. Here’s to the next 10 years!