I've started writing this a dozen times this morning and I'm still not sure I have the words.
Last night, I opened my home to unveil my Possibility collection and somehow, what started as an opportunity to share something I've been creating became one of the most meaningful nights of my life. Nearly every piece sold. Even typing that feels a little surreal. But the truth is, last night was never really about selling paintings.
It’s humbling to know that something you've poured your time, energy, and heart into will now have a place in someone else's home. Some paintings came together easily. Others were painted over, reworked, questioned, and revisited more times than I can count. To know that someone saw something beautiful in them, something worth bringing into their own space, is a gift I don't take lightly.
At one point during the evening, I just stopped. My house was filled with people who have loved me across 35 years of my life. Friends, mentors, colleagues, neighbors, and people who have become part of my story in so many different ways. People who have known different versions of me, walked alongside me through different seasons, and loved me in ways both big and small. And there they all were. In one place. Celebrating something I had created.
I don't think we get many opportunities in life to experience something quite like that. To give people a reason to show up, not because they have to or because there's an obligation, but because they want to. They want to see you succeed and share in your happiness and some of them know exactly what it took to get there. Others simply believe in the person standing in front of them. It is extraordinary to be on the receiving end of that kind of love.
I've spent a lot of this year trying to figure out what comes next. Trying new things, finding my footing, learning to trust myself, and discovering pieces of who I am along the way. I don't know that I can fully explain why I started painting again. I was asked this question many times last night. Maybe I needed to remind myself that I could still create something beautiful when other parts of life felt uncertain or I needed a place to put my energy (that wasn’t running), my thoughts, and a little bit of myself. Whatever the reason, I'm so grateful I picked up a paintbrush again.
I'll probably never be able to fully articulate what last night meant to me. But I didn't want to let the moment pass without trying. To everyone who came, purchased a painting, sent me a message, encouraged me, shared my work, or simply reminded me that I could do this, thank you. Thank you for showing up. Thank you for believing in me. Thank you for finding something worth loving in the things I've created. I love each of you and I'm so grateful you're part of my life.
With so much love,
Shannon
