Although the idea of starting a new business has always appealed to me… When it comes down to the thought of actually doing it, I have always been petrified.

What paintings will people like?

What products do I sell on my website?

What if people don’t like what I produce? And so on…

However, one common denominator in all of this is me. I am my own worst enemy, which I’m sure a lot of people can relate to. There will always be people who dislike what I have to write about or even the art I produce, but there are going to be people that love and engage with what I have to do and have the same passion.

It’s all about feeling the fear and doing it anyway.

 

New Business

Although I’ve always produced commissions for people, I never took it seriously enough to turn it into an actual business with an actual online shop. 

It wasn’t until the beginning of 2021 that I just… started. It wasn’t like I really… sat down and made a plan of exactly what I wanted to do. I just started producing work and the online shop kind of just followed on. 

If I had methodically tried to break everything down I ‘needed’ to do to start this new business, I would have quit after the first day. But by just producing what I love and am happy with, everything started falling into place.

It was actually my friend Jessie Whealy, who created an incredible business called Jessie’s Art Shed, who inspired me to just start. I have never been a massive planner, although I’m hoping to build up to that, but just figuring it out as I produce work has really helped me. 

Same Passion (Art)

Art and generally ‘creativity’ has always played a massive role in my life and really gotten me through some harder times.

Art has always been something that I could rely on when I was in a bad mood, upset, or even when I was in the best of moods. Even though I didn’t pursue it at university (I’ll go through all of this in another post

– I don’t want to bore and lose you in this first one hehe), Art has always been a constant in my life, something that I can turn towards to shut off the world.

When I’m alone, and painting (or wherever to be honest), this is ‘me’ time and time I can gather my thoughts. Just like other people like to go for walks, or grab a coffee by themselves. That is what creating is for me. It is a way of me being able to calm my mind, get those emotions through my system and back to a calm(ish) state of mind.

So as much as to some people it may have been a no brainer to start an online shop to sell my art, I do feel like I have had to have this journey of discovery for myself. 

Always Africa

Being South African, my art has always been inspired by Africa and the wildlife in it.

I think that is what drew me to painting on slate, although not a very African material, I absolutely love the rustic, natural texture of it which reminds me of home. 

Although most of my work does centre around pet commissions, now that I have started this new business with an online shop, I can start producing and selling work that has always inspired me from the country I love. 

 

I have recently (around a year ago) been introduced to the world of mind management/lifestyle/mindset coaching… whatever you want to call it.

This mind-set coaching (although still only early days for myself and a lot to learn) has given me the drive – at the end of one of the worst years in a lot of people’s minds, to the beginning of a year set with so much uncertainty – to pursue building this new business and create new passions that excite me.

I am a product of what I make myself and I can’t wait to share my journey; not only in the world of art and creating my new online shop, but also becoming a better person.

Whether you want to follow along for my business journey, learning new things about art and what pieces I’m doing, or just following my journey of just becoming a better more motivated person, I am so excited to be sharing this with you. 

So here I go… or should I say, here WE go. Let’s do this together. Let’s make new passions and let’s inspire each other to create the lives that we really want.

Love, Cam