From 9-5 corporate to self-employed artist...

This story has been promised a while back and so here it is! Be warned - it’s a bit of a long one, so I’m splitting it into two parts.

Part 1 - The Planting of a Seed 🌱

To answer the question “What inspired you to create art about your faith?” I need to go back many years.

I grew up living and breathing art. In all my free time as a child, you would find me drawing and re-creating craft projects from borrowed public library books. Eventually my parents signed me up for extracurricular art lessons on weekends, which I attended for over a decade along with my sister.

Fast forward years later, despite my love for art, I did not pursue a professional education in it. Instead, I chose the path of job security and practicality. I graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting and Finance thinking I would get my CPA designation. But throughout my undergrad years, I eventually realized the career path as an accountant was not for me…

And so as a new grad, I took the next most logical step and began working full-time within the business operations and analyst realm. I was living the 9-5 corporate life working for a tech company and residing in the bustling neighbourhood of downtown Toronto - the supposed dream.

While I loved the people I worked with and certain aspects of the corporate lifestyle, I knew it was not something I was truly passionate about. But at the same time, I was grateful for the job God had blessed me with. As I gradually started reaching the point of burnout, the COVID-19 pandemic hit and the world entered complete lockdown.

As the world stopped, I slowly began breathing again. Some people took up baking bread and I re-took up art (which for many years had taken a backseat to the busyness of school and adulting).

I started drawing during the hours after work, which became remote work during lockdown. I bought a sewing machine and taught myself how to sew and make things. I allowed myself to have fun with creating for the sake of creating - I was rediscovering myself, the part that got lost along the way.

Coincidentally or not, it was also during this time that I began diving deeper into my faith. I started pursuing God and His word with greater intentionality and desire. I craved an intimate relationship with God that was lacking in the years prior.

So in this season where I was re-igniting my love for art and pursuing God with renewed purpose, a thought took seed in my mind - “What would it look like to integrate my art and faith?”

This thought stuck with me sitting in the back of my mind, but it wasn’t until years later that the planted seed began to grow.

Read Part 2 HERE! This is where the story gets good…

If you made it this far, thank you for taking the time to read my story! 💜

-Wendy