Undiscovered Gifts

I never saw myself as an artist. I’ve always been creative, but “artist” felt like a title for those who had work hanging in galleries or had garnered success on some other platform. I think it was around 2012 when I saw someone share about how to hand-letter on their blog. It looked so beautiful, and I wanted to try it. I began to practice and realized how much I enjoyed not only the finished result but also the process along the way. It was so relaxing to me to grab my sketchpad and pencil and just begin lettering what was on my heart…a verse…a statement…a thought that I loved. I enjoyed practicing how to add dimension to the letters and began experimenting with different lettering styles. It became something I would pick up whenever I had a few minutes.

Over the years, I began working with ink as well pencil and my artwork began to grow. It was a creative outlet that was just for me. I decided to frame some of my favorites so that I could enjoy them in my home. When I had company over, I often received compliments and inquiries on the prints, and it pleased me that others enjoyed them as well, but I didn’t think much of it beyond that.

Years went by and in 2024 I opened my own Etsy fabric shop, Sorrel Co. This was a dream of mine a long time in the making. As I stepped into 2025, I had such big plans and vision for the year with my new shop, but just 7 days into the New Year, I found myself evacuated to a hotel about 30 minutes from my home because of nearby wild fires. I had to close my business, and I was uncertain of what to do next. The news of the fire spreading each day and the devastation it left behind made it difficult to focus and think of much else.

The day after the unexpected and rushed evacuation, I walked downstairs to the hotel lobby with some notebooks and some lunch and sat at one of the tables. I was uncertain how long I would be there and whether or not the fire would be contained before reaching my home. What would happen to my business? I sat there eating and in a bit of a fog; I just wasn’t sure what to do next. I remember so clearly God whispering to my heart, “Don’t let this derail you.” I didn’t understand. How was this not derailing me? I sat there and just pondered what He said. If He said it; it was true. I didn’t have to let this situation derail me, but I really wasn’t sure what that looked like. I asked Him what I should do. To my surprise, He said, “Dream”. Dream? Truthfully, I did not feel like dreaming. I was exhausted from lack of sleep and from crying. Everything felt uncertain.

The longer I live, the more I find that God does not always do things in a way that feels comfortable or reasonable to me. There is a scripture that says, “His ways are higher than our ways and His thoughts are higher than our thoughts”. Sitting there at that table in the hotel lobby awaiting news of the wildfires and trying to understand how this didn’t have to derail me, I was reminded of that. I didn’t understand how this was a time to dream, but He did.

As the days went on and the fires continued to spread, I worked on what I could do for my business while it was closed, accounting and taxes. One night, feeling like I needed a break from the news and the numbers, I went down to the hotel lobby with my notebook, pens and markers. I decided I needed some creative time, so I started to draw. I began to draw and to my surprise, it seemed to flow like never before. Something new sparked on the inside of me. It was like God was tapping into something in me that I didn’t realize was there, and my unusual and unexpected circumstances provided the right soil for it to begin to sprout. Over the next 2 weeks in that hotel, I spent a lot of time drawing, creating new artwork and dreaming of where this new creative avenue was taking me. I really wasn’t sure, but it felt special to me.

I was so incredibly grateful when I was able to go back home and that I had a home to return to. As I opened up my business again, I had a new perspective on the New Year and what it held for me. I saw possibility for the artwork that God had put inside me. The love of lettering and drawing was always there, but it just hadn’t been the right time for it to be anything more than a creative outlet. Something had shifted though. I began to truly see myself as an artist. In doing so, it seemed to create momentum and courage in me to dust off other creative dreams that had gathered dust in my heart, and I have begun to pursue those as well. (More on that later 🙂 )

Its so easy to dismiss the gifts and talents that we’ve been given because we compare them to others and start to minimize them. Maybe we just don’t believe there is a place where they matter when our lives are so full of so many other things that seem to always take priority. Is there something that you love to do or have always hoped to learn? Maybe, like me, its always been there on the side or in a drawer nearby. Take a step today, even if it is a little one. I’m learning that today matters more than we realize. The realization of a dream that seems so far away is made up of a lot of “todays” where we showed up and did the best we could with what we had. Maybe your circumstances aren’t ideal. Maybe you have a lot of responsibilities right now. The truth is that there is no perfect time. What could today look like for you if you took one small step toward the dreams God has put in your heart? The steps are the important part. Each one matters. I’m amazed at how far I’ve come with a lot of little steps. I hope you’ll join me today and take one step. Don’t give up. There are gifts and talents in you waiting to be uncovered.