Creating by Faith Not By Sight!

It has been a while since I have written, I have been busy launching me new company, "Paint, Sip and Soul with Lisa and Friends," a fun art instruction company. Who knew that life would take me down this path? I have always believed that creativity is good for the soul. When I am not creating I feel my energy level waning, it feels like my heart is wilting. Last year was a year of transition. It started heavy and I knew I had to make serious changes and that could mean…dunt, dunt, dunt,  dauh going back to corporate. (My desire for my life is to be self employed) In addition to experiencing transitions it also meant that I had to let go of beliefs, things and people whose purpose had been fulfilled in my life.  Like I said it was a heavy time of transition and letting go but my faith kept me strong and I was determined to create myself back whole. I knew that God had a plan for me and that He would soon reveal that plan.

 It was a year ago or so that the universe began whispering this concept of teaching art to me. I did a trade show and a lady that I have never even met suggested that I look into teaching art at local bars like the one she had recently been to. I was still unsure of what she was talking about; then an old sister friend, Lady T. called out of the blue and told me she had been to a class and thought I should look into. She was adamant that I could do it and that I should try it. I started seeing Groupons on line for wine and painting and I began researching…and researching. Could this really be a viable business? The research suggested that it could but I was still unsure. About a month later one afternoon I was on-line doing more research and the news came on featuring a local company doing exactly what I was researching. Then the phone rang, sure enough it was  T. again, “girl are you watching this, this is you! I said, "I know I’ll call you back". And that is how it all started. I went to my first paint and wine event and thought to myself, yes I can do this. I thought long and hard about a name for my company and decided to keep it simple but I knew it needed to reflect "me" and the word "soul" kept coming back. I decided it would be "Paint, Sip and Soul with Lisa & Friends" and I scheduled my first paint party and 20 people showed up. We painted and had fun and I was hooked and 6 months later I am still at it and I love it. I have a booking almost every weekend and I am meeting many new people, who are now becoming my regular customers. I am blessed and still walking by faith not by sight and I am in the process of looking for my own paint studio.  Another major leap of faith but I feel that in order to grow, I have to once again trust my intuition by putting my money where my mouth is.  I tell many of my “students” (for lack of a better word) that they need to trust their own instincts and I remind them that they are the apple of God’s eye and that He has a divine plan for their lives. I am a real representation of God’s grace.  He always provides exactly what I need and if I am to continue to profess this truth, I need to act accordingly. I need to walk by faith, not by sight and for me that is getting my own space.

I have had two friends bestow two really solid pearls of profound wisdom upon me this year. One friend has terminal cancer, she is courageous and beautiful.  She told me to remember that no matter what, “Faith Abounds” and to trust & surrender to it. Another friend told me that my purpose would be found through “channeling” my art and color. I had never thought about creativity as channeling.  Dictionary.com defines channeling as “the practice of professedly entering a meditative or trance like state in order to convey messages from spirit. ” For me the essence of creativity is about communication. Yes I will accept and own this description, that is the way it feels, that I am communing with spirit. I have always said that creativity for me is like prayer and was a delivery system for me to speak and allow my voice to be heard and now by God’s grace I am teaching others to also “speak” their own truths too. And what can be better than that?  

The attached pictures are from recent “Paint, Sip and Soul with Lisa and friends”; for some they are pictures of people painting but for me they are pictures of beautiful, open-hearted, unique souls sharing in a  wonderful colorful prayer.

Thanks for now and peace be with you along your journey, seek your creative bliss and I will see ya along the path.

Lisa M. Cliff  

For upcoming Paint, Sip and Soul with Lisa dates go to-  https://squareup.com/market/blind-faith-fine-art