September 8, 2025 • 52 mins
Andrea Holmes didn’t always believe art could pay the bills. After stints in catering, restaurants, and even TV, she embraced her true calling as a muralist. Now known as “the Bird Lady,” she supports herself and her daughter through her art, traveling internationally to paint vibrant murals that spark joy in communities worldwide.
What sets Andrea apart is her openness about the business of art. She shares that corporations like Starbucks invest $20,000+ in her murals, breaking the “starving artist” myth. Once convinced $100,000 a year as an artist was impossible, she hit that goal—and now sets her sights on earning that for a single mural. Her ambitious mindset shows how removing self-imposed limits creates new possibilities.
Community fuels her success. Though she works solo, she intentionally connects with groups like McKinney Creative Community, finding relationships that provide both emotional support and collaboration. “I have found more value in relationships because I don’t have that during the day,” she notes.
Andrea’s wisdom is simple: “If you set out six months or a year on a calendar and you’re still complaining about something, change it.” Her story proves that with persistence, community, and bold goals, artists can create a thriving life beyond what they thought possible.
Andrea's Profile
Andrea's Website
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:10):
I have found more value and like I need to invest
in relationships and things incommunity because I don't have
that during the day.
You know, some people are likepeopled out because they work
all day and they are surroundedby people and then then by the
time they get home they're like,oh, like enough.
But I'm the opposite.
I'm like people come, I need totalk to you and I just remember
(00:34):
.
You know I really you know myart community.
I didn't really find it untilcollege.
Speaker 2 (00:52):
Hi, this is Dwight Spencer, one of the Connections
and Community Guys.
I'm joined by other Connectionand Community Guy, Maddox, and
you're listening to For the Loveof Creatives, a podcast about
the intersection of creativityand community.
Today, we are joined by ourfeatured guest, Andrea Holmes, a
McKinney-based muralist.
(01:14):
While she's based in Texas,she's working all over the world
.
You may have seen some of herwork.
She's known as the Bird Ladyand she's the host of Birdtober,
and there are a lot of fun andinteresting facts about Andrea,
but who better to tell us alittle bit about who she is than
Andrea Holmes herself?
Take it away, Andrea.
Speaker 1 (01:34):
Hi, how are you guys?
Great Good, I am Andrea Holmesand I am a mural artist.
I've been doing those for aboutfive years, but I've been a
painter for over the past 15years and I've always been an
(01:56):
art student and I just thoughtit couldn't be a real job and I
went into other avenues of work.
Couldn't be a real job and Iwent into other avenues of work.
But over time I have figured itout and now I feel like I can
say that I'm a successfulfull-time artist.
I've been doing art full-timefor the past eight years, which
(02:18):
feels like a big accomplishment.
And I am the co-author of Artmakes magic with my friend Beth
Fields, and that is about beinga fairy art mother and inspiring
other artists and being amentor.
Um, and it has practical tipsand it really talks about how
there's different pathways upthe mountain for being an artist
(02:39):
.
It's not like a doctor whereyou do this, this and this and
now you're a doctor.
Art's not that.
A doctor where you do this,this and this and now you're a
doctor Art's not that kind ofjourney.
So I also do 60 Second BadPortraits, which is just a
really fun, literally just aone-minute quick doodle of
someone, and those have beenreally great and successful,
(03:07):
really great and successful.
And I am on the board ofMillhouse, which is a creative
center that empowers women toflourish.
Here in McKinney, I'm a part ofleadership McKinney, so I'm
very active in a lot of things.
I'm also a mom.
My daughter and I have a littleMuppet that runs around the
house.
He is a little grumpy, brusselsthe Griffin, and so that's
(03:28):
basically me in a nutshell.
Speaker 3 (03:32):
You are a woman of accomplishment.
You know to be a single mom anda pet.
You know.
And to make your living tosupport you and your daughter
with your art is quite anachievement.
Speaker 1 (03:47):
It is, and I have to remember that it is a lot of
times when you're in things youdon't see what you've
accomplished and how far you'vecome.
And so to not only be an artistand making ends meet and paying
bills and things like that, butto actually be flourishing and
(04:09):
getting to travel all over theworld and do extraordinary
things, it's more than I couldhave ever dreamed of or thought
possible, truly.
Speaker 3 (04:20):
You know, I just want to say, andrea, that you know
we at this point with thepodcast have had conversations
with just shy of 40 creativesnow, not all artists, but all
creatives and you are right upthere at the top of a very, very
tiny percentage who actually dosupport themselves fully with
(04:45):
their craft.
So I just want to drive thathome.
You know that's quite anaccomplishment.
Speaker 1 (04:50):
Thank you.
I think I put this into thebook but I wrote about you just
don't really know what, howpeople are doing what they're
doing.
Do they have a spouse, do theyhave parents or a trust fund, or
you know?
I just would always look atother artists as I have been
growing and just being like howdo they do it?
But you just don't know whattheir backstory is and how are
(05:14):
they making sales.
Maybe they have a father whowas able to help them get into
the art world or, you know, dothings with them, or maybe they
have a husband that helps themdo all the business side.
You just have no idea what kindof support systems people have.
And so it's.
To run my own business, andsuccessfully, is pretty cool and
(05:40):
I do wear that with pridebecause I've worked very hard at
it and I'm grateful for everybit of the crazy things that
I've been through to get me here.
Speaker 3 (05:56):
Well, and I also without you.
Oh, go ahead, dwight.
Speaker 2 (05:59):
Well, I was just going to say that you brought up
how hard it is to think ofanything in a fashion that's
other than linear.
You know how when you'reinvolved in something, you're so
close to it, you can't reallyappreciate the magnitude of what
it took to get to that point.
What was it like when you werefirst having, you know, those,
(06:27):
those inklings toward, you know,maybe possibly doing something
with art?
I mean, what, what was, whatwere those thoughts and feelings
like?
Speaker 1 (06:38):
So I always wanted to be an artist but I just didn't
think it was viable and that youknow starving artist mentality,
all of that.
And so I went into school formore biology, zoology, like
veterinarian type thing, andthen I actually worked at a
veterinarian clinic and realizedquickly I was like, oh, this
isn't for me.
This is not all the puppies andkittens and all the love and
(07:00):
warm fuzzies that I was hopingit would be.
And so I had always been takingart classes on the side as my
electives, things like that,just because I truly enjoyed it.
And I actually didn't startpainting until I graduated
college.
I had a professor that said youknow, you guys don't even know
how to draw.
We need to start with thebasics.
(07:22):
And so I dropped it.
To draw, we need to start withthe basics, and so I dropped it.
Um, so I eventually startedtaking painting classes.
Um, after you know I hadgraduated, I couldn't find a job
in art.
I have an arts and technologydegree.
I was like I'm going to workfor Pixar and um, but then it
was like 2009,.
You know, it was really hard tofind a job.
(07:42):
So I was working in catering.
I worked at a as a server in arestaurant, I worked part-time
in an art gallery and then Iworked for a TV show called
Cheaters, and so I just had allthis modge podge and then I
could just feel my creative souldying and I wanted to, you know
, nurture it.
So I took classes on the side,um, and then I entered into an
(08:04):
art show and they were like youdon't even have hangers on here,
go to this art gallery.
I got a job at the art galleryand then I was able to quit all
of the other jobs.
It was a big pay cut, a hugepay cut, but I knew that it was
the right choice.
It was probably one of thebetter choices that I've made.
(08:25):
That and getting divorced was toto go from, you know, making
lots of money, um, especiallywhen I was working at the
catering job.
I became a manager and, like,they gave me like paid for my
gas and I had, you know it was alot of money, a lot of stress,
but a lot of money.
But then to find this art jobin an art gallery, that it was
(08:45):
like almost half of a pay cut.
But I had a husband at thatpoint and so I could make that
decision and I did and I justgrew through working at that job
I learned so much informationabout the art world and meeting
other artists and you know,working on the large format
(09:06):
printing machines to do likecanvas prints, g clays, um,
working in a gallery, you knowhow do you price stuff.
All of that it was so valuable.
So you know, you can see thislittle path that I was carving
out.
And then I started doing artshows and art festivals.
I started teaching classes andthen, and then eventually I I
(09:33):
started to be an artist fulltime.
The gallery that I was workingwith ended up closing and so I
had had my daughter.
At that point she was about ayear and a half old and it was
like, do you put her in daycare?
And then I could only work parttime and it was like Monday
through Wednesday who's hiringfor?
Monday through Wednesday,nobody.
(09:53):
And so I decided to stay homeand again, I had the ability to
do that because I had someone tosupport me at that point.
The ability to do that becauseI had someone to support me at
that point.
And, um, I worked on my art andI was just taking a lot of
(10:14):
commissions and doing dailyprojects like the um, uh, you
know, a 30 day art challenge, um, then, which led to Birdtober
and doing that every year, andthis will be my seventh year and
um, and then I started gettinginto more things.
So it just was this longpathway.
So art for me has just alwaysbeen there, and the more that I
(10:37):
got into it I was like oh, likethis is, there is money here and
art and um, people spendbillions of dollars in art.
It's a huge industry and whenyou really look around and see
how much art really toucheseverything, hold on my dog.
This is the one thing I didn'tthink of.
(10:59):
He does this every time I waslooking for this squeaky toy
Cause he brings it out everytime I'm on a zoom call.
But I just, I just and I lostmy train of thought.
I'm so sorry.
You tried to prepare me forthis.
Speaker 3 (11:17):
You know there was something that you said earlier.
I want to track back a littlebit.
I'm still kind of hanging on.
You do art full time becauseit's such a big deal.
Everything we talk about isabout that intersection of
community and creativity, and Iknow that you'd get commissioned
work to do murals where youhave to travel, which lets me
(11:41):
know that in order to do thatand be a single mom, you have to
have quite a support system tobe able to do that, and that's a
beautiful example of howcommunity impacts our creative
life.
You couldn't do that if youdidn't have the support
community.
Speaker 1 (11:58):
There are times where she's with her dad, so I can
plan like, okay, she's going tobe with her dad, this is a week,
I can do something, so let'splan for that.
Or grandma helps out, and thenI have a trip coming up that my
sister-in-law is going to comehelp out.
So I really do have a supportsystem and for me, one of my
(12:21):
hugest pillars of where I get mystrength from is from friends
and family and relationships.
I mean, I don't think I wouldhave made it through these past
five years.
They've been very turbulent.
Now my career has grownexponentially and it's been
wonderful, but at the same timemy personal life has just been
(12:42):
chaos and turbulence the wholetime.
But people wouldn't know that,but it's just been crazy.
And without those friends thatI especially my friends that
I've surrounded myself with Ican't imagine getting through
any of it.
I don't know how people do itwithout those kinds of
connections.
Speaker 3 (13:05):
Well said, andrea.
We love that.
We are so all about peoplemagic and you're describing a
variation of people magic.
Speaker 1 (13:16):
Yeah, Relationships are so important, even through
business.
Right Connections are sometimescalled networking, which is,
you know, an ugly word forartists.
Speaker 3 (13:32):
We don't use the N word in our house.
Speaker 1 (13:36):
It really is.
Relationships is what it trulyis.
With a lot of the businesseshere in downtown McKinney.
You know I worked down here.
I built relationships in thatway.
People trusted me and then Iwas able to start doing projects
down here.
People saw my caliber of work.
I'm easy to work with.
(13:57):
You sit and work in someone'sbusiness If you're painting a
mural.
You're there for like a week ormore and you talk to these
people and you learn about theirlife and then even afterwards I
continue to go back to theseplaces and visit their
restaurants or shops or andcontinue to have relationships
with them because you genuinelylike them and you're invested
(14:20):
and you you're cheering them onand they're cheering you on and,
um, and I especially love thathere in McKinney and I've even
going to Hawaii and that waslike a trip of a lifetime and
only because if I'd made aproject which is the 100 bird
mural project, it's based off ofa painting project that I had
(14:41):
done which was 100 bird, hundredbird paintings Um, and I wanted
to figure out how to paint whatI wanted to paint, um, versus
like signs and billboards forbusinesses, um, and really do
art murals and this was mysolution.
But you know, these peoplereached out from Hawaii and they
invited me in.
(15:02):
They let me stay in one oftheir Airbnbs.
They had, you know, ceremoniesand meet the artist night, where
they all had home cooked foodand I learned how to do lays and
like we were sitting around atable and making lays together
with leaves.
And I mean to travel across theworld, or several thousand
(15:25):
miles, and be somewhere for justeight days and then immediately
you have a connection withsomeone and I think that is
universal and that's a huge partof this project is for me to
have a sense of awe and wonderand experience the world in this
way.
But it's really also aboutconnecting with people all over
(15:45):
the world, because when you getinto these small towns or places
or you kind of get a slice oflife moment, it's really
beautiful and you realize, inspite of all the chaos and drama
that you see online andeverything that you know, people
are quite wonderful and lovingand caring and they're living
(16:09):
their lives and it can be areally good place as much as it
can be a bad place, and I reallycreate my art for me to have
joy, because life is crazy andit brings me joy and I want to
bring that to other peoplethrough my artwork, with the
bright, colorful things and likebirds.
(16:30):
They're just like jewels to me.
You know they're just.
They come in a variety of sizes, shapes, colors.
It's just an endless subjectmatter to me.
Um.
So to be able to do that andand spread that joy throughout
the world and make thoseconnections and travel and have
on and wonder, I mean it's quiteincredible and I feel very
(16:51):
lucky that I am able to do it,because I know a lot of people
work, everybody can work hard,right, but not everybody gets
these opportunities.
So a lot of hard work and alittle bit of luck.
Speaker 3 (17:07):
You know there's something very unique about what
you do as an artist.
You know I'm sitting my mind ispercolating here and I'm
thinking about how most artistspaint on canvases, or you know,
and probably maybe a smallpercentage of what they do is
commissioned work.
Most of it's what we call specwork.
(17:29):
But as a muralist you can'tjust really go out and paint a
wall.
I mean, I guess graffitihappens all the time, but that's
not what you do, you know.
So pretty much all of yourmurals have to be commissioned
work, right?
Speaker 1 (17:50):
I do approach places a lot of times.
You know working with cities,or you know there's grants and
things available, but there are.
It's not just like whatever Iwant to do, they are adding in
the ingredients.
So I think of this like a kindof like I'm building a recipe,
um, and I for me, especiallywith this bird project, it's my
(18:13):
only thing is it needs to have abird in it, but each new
location, each new person that Iwork with gets to add in the
ingredients and I get to buildsomething cool based off of that
and it'll be unique because ofthat and I think it'll have a
lot of flavor and joy put intoit, because I'm working on it
(18:35):
with other people and when youcollaborate, you build something
better because it's not justyou and your own space.
It gives you new ideas, itgives you, um, you know,
creative restrictions and, um, Ithink because of that I create
better work.
Speaker 2 (18:57):
That's beautiful.
I'm curious what have you had achance to discover that was
surprising in any of this workor in your travels easier.
Speaker 1 (19:17):
It feels which sounds so awful and I'm sure that's
like an infuriating thing to say, but I don't know if it's
because I feel like maybe I havefinally, like I'm really in a
place that I should be, Like Ihave found my passion.
I'm, you know, like this.
It's so that it feels easybecause I'm not fighting against
(19:39):
something or trying to besomething.
I'm not or trying to fit into acategory that I'm not.
But if I could go back and tellmyself like, hey, little baby
artist, Andrea, you know, thisis what you're going to be doing
and this is how much people aregoing to pay you, my mind would
(19:59):
just be like, you know, like I,I would never.
I I wanted it to be good, but Ididn't think it could be this
good and that things couldsurpass my expectations is
probably the biggest thing thatI just didn't see coming um and
so, but I've just I verystubborn um throughout all of
(20:24):
this and just very persistent umand willing to pivot, and those
were probably the things thatyou know that have helped me
grow and be able to besuccessful is just being just,
I'm a Ram, you know, Aries Ram,and I'm an ox in the Chinese one
(20:44):
.
I think I'm just like, I'msteadfast, I just kind of trudge
through things.
You know the grit factor, but Ijust I wanted it.
I want to be an artist.
I want, I want the things thatcome along with it.
I eat, breathe, sleep art.
I don't know, it's all art allthe time.
(21:07):
I can't imagine people whodon't have art in their lives.
What is that even like?
Or even the community that artbrings?
You don't have those people inyour life.
No wonder everybody's so sadpeople in your life.
Speaker 3 (21:20):
Like what.
No wonder everybody's so sad.
There is something quitemagical about being surrounded
by other creative people.
You know I've been writingabout it lately, searched for my
people my whole life and justin the last couple of years, you
know, in probably the laststages of my life, I have found
my people, you know, and it'sjust been, it's been phenomenal.
(21:42):
You know you were talking aboutnever dreaming that you'd get
paid, what you get paid.
I had a mentor sometime, not toolong ago say to not just me,
but a group of people that werecreating, and he said you know,
don't ever feel bad about makingmoney, don't ever feel
embarrassed or ashamed or badabout making money, because, he
(22:06):
said, what you do changes theworld, what you do contributes
to humanity in a major way.
Now, they may not reallyrealize it like that, but that
doesn't matter.
It contributes, and the moremoney you have, the more people
you can help, the more peopleyou can touch, the more murals
(22:26):
you can paint, and it makessense.
We should never, ever feelashamed of getting money for our
work, because it's the enablingthing that lets us bring more
joy into the world.
Speaker 1 (22:42):
Yeah, it has extreme value, it truly does, and I, you
know you don't think about it.
But but companies likeStarbucks, you know they paid me
.
I'm going to use real numbersCause as an artist and when I
was trying to figure things out,I love to hear people's real
numbers but it was like, youknow, $20,000 to work on a
(23:07):
project for them, like they'reinvesting that Uptown Dallas,
it's like over a $60,000 project.
So these people, these bigcorporations with lots of money
and the ability to research,they're investing in art and
that says a lot.
The city of McKinney isinvesting a lot of money in art.
They added another $160,000 totheir arts commission to be able
to give out in grants.
That says so much and it'sreally a feather in someone's
(23:30):
cap to be able to invest in art,because you're not just
surviving, you're thriving, andthat's something unique to
(23:58):
humans is to create art andexpress ourselves this way, and
I think it's such a wonderfulthing and I was talking to my
brother the other day and I havesaid this in one of my
workshops that I do.
It's a goal workshop.
Every year I do this.
I keep thinking about giving itup, but I don't think I ever
will, because it's invaluable tome.
It's like a recap of your yearand then you look into the next
year and at one I said I waslike I want to make a hundred
thousand dollars as an artist.
And I remember people beinglike what?
Like that's crazy, and but Iwas like I'm just putting that
out there and I did it.
And then I was talking to mybrother the other day and I was
(24:21):
like I want to make a hundredthousand dollars in a mural and
he's like, well, you can make ahundred thousand dollars in a
year.
And I said no, in one mural.
And he was like what?
And I was like I just put incrazy things out there and it
happens.
So I I'm sure this is like aweird manifestation or type
thing or I don't know.
(24:42):
You're putting it onto theuniverse or you're setting a
goal and because you haven't setlimitations on yourself, you
look at things in different ways.
You try to figure out thatproblem in a different way so
that you can achieve it.
Because if you're like, well, Ionly can make this much as an
artist, but if you limityourself, then that's where
you're going to stay, so I liketo give myself these like absurd
(25:05):
challenges, or at the time,they seem absurd.
Um, to me, where I'm just likethat's crazy.
But, um, there, it's out thereand people are paying money for
art.
Like it's.
It's a, it has value, it's aninvestment.
It's not a cost, it's.
It's a, it has value, it's aninvestment.
It's not a cost, it's it trulyadds to people's lives.
(25:26):
They crave it, they need it.
Um, so I I really just and notthat it's about the money, um,
but for me it's like what does ahundred thousand dollar mural
look like?
Is that a giant building that Iget to paint on, where, like, a
whole city gets to see it?
Like, isn't that so cool that Icould leave that kind of mark?
Um, in the world and and, um,and you know, affect someone's
(25:52):
life in a way where they seethat mural and maybe they it
invokes a feeling of joy orpositivity, or if I could do
that in some way, it's such ait's I want to do it.
Speaker 3 (26:06):
I love your attitude, Love, love, love your attitude
and it's very inspiring.
And I just want to say, yes,it's very much about manifesting
and B there is nothing weird orcrazy about it.
Speaker 2 (26:19):
Let's, let's not overlook, just because we're
talking about manifesting.
I'd say, a key ingredient isthat determination that you
spoke of.
I mean you, you have put in thehard work, you've, you've
applied grit, and that's as mucha part of that formula for
manifestation as just settingthe crazy goal.
Speaker 1 (26:40):
Yes, I think so and I actively pursue like these
things, like I don't just set itout into the universe and be
like, okay, I'm ready, you know,I, I talk to people, I reach
out, I, um, I look foropportunities and, um, I'm
planting seeds all the time inorder to grow, and so I think
(27:06):
it's.
You just never know what'saround the corner for you, and
especially if you just keepapplying yourself, keep showing
up to the easel, keep you know,keep working at it.
And the next part is talkingabout it, you know, talking
about what you do.
This is one of my biggestcomponents of you know,
(27:28):
mastering your self-promotion isso key for artists and
creatives because you know youmake these wonderful things and
if you don't talk about them orshow them to people or share
them, then it's just lost and Ithink again, it adds real value
to people.
(27:48):
So you have to do the otherpart of the work, of the
marketing, of the promoting whatyou you're doing because it's
good.
We need more good things in theworld.
Speaker 3 (28:05):
You have to wear the entrepreneur's hat, so you can
wear the artist hat.
Speaker 1 (28:10):
Yes, and I'm like there is no shame in the book
that I wrote with my friend Beth.
She has a full-time job andshe's like waiting to, but like
she has a pension that she'slike working towards, and she
didn't go to art school and she,you know, didn't have a studio
outside of her house.
That has value too, whereyou're creating art, you know,
(28:32):
just for yourself, and thingslike that.
Like it doesn't not everybodyneeds to be a full time artist,
right.
Not everybody needs to be afull-time artist, right, but I
think art still has immensevalue, even if it's just for the
artist.
Speaker 2 (28:49):
But I want people to share it because I want to see
it Right and I can appreciatehow, when you're creating art,
it scratches an itch, itfulfills a need, like I
understand that there is so muchthat we don't know about how it
is that we're built.
We know that we need nutrition.
We know that we need sunlight.
(29:10):
We we know that we need to haverelationships.
We're discovering it's.
It's essential for making surethat we don't suffer from a host
of ailments, including dementia, suffer from a host of ailments
, including dementia, but artprobably factors in there pretty
highly and just because ithasn't been quantified, it's
something that we shouldprobably be diligent about
(29:31):
pursuing.
Speaker 1 (29:33):
Truly, I'm reading this book called Joyful and it
starts off talking about and Ican't remember the town or the
people or the players oranything, but it talks about
this town that is reallyimpoverished, there's a lot of
crime, and then the mayor comesin and he paints this whole
(29:54):
building, everything except forthe windows orange, like this
bright, vibrant orange.
And he starts this initiativewhere they start painting entire
buildings, even ones for thecity, in these bright, wonderful
colors and patterns and things,and then it decreased crime,
People that were afraid to openup their shops, which were
(30:15):
starting to open up again.
It brought in tourists and itrevitalized the whole town.
That is the power of art.
Speaker 3 (30:25):
It was brilliant, wasn't it?
Speaker 1 (30:27):
It was so brilliant and who would have thought a
coat of paint would make such abig difference?
But it truly does.
Your environment makes a bigdifference, and who you are and
how you respond to the world,and so I think that's again
where these artists are cominginto play, like, even if it's a
happy little sticker that makessomebody's day and it adds that
(30:48):
little dose of joy, or if it's abook or a poem or you know, all
these things add value and makelife better, and I think it's
like the fight of good versusevil, and I feel like art is
just on the side of good andthat it's kind of a
responsibility to get it outthere and put good things into
(31:13):
the world and be human.
Speaker 3 (31:18):
It's difficult to really express the value of art.
I have, about three months ago,started painting and almost
nobody's seen anything that I'mpainting, except for Dwight, a
couple of people have been inthe house.
Well, yeah, that I paintedprobably eight or nine years ago
(31:42):
, but yes, I painted thatcolorful thing right there on
the wall.
But I went for several yearsthat painting and I'm painting
again and I'm painting in thedining room.
So the whole second floor ofthe house is just like a studio
and it looks destroyed.
There's shit everywhere andit's just like destroyed.
(32:04):
There's shit everywhere andit's just like and it is amazing
to me how much this is justcontributing to my soul.
It's hard to really express orexplain, but there's just
something real magical, there'san element of play to it that
just really is just completelymagical.
You know, I don't think Irealized how much I wasn't
playing until I started playingin the paint.
(32:25):
I was a little intimidated atfirst and kind of afraid to jump
in and get started, and thenfinally I did and now I'm just
playing and just having justthis amazing time, and it
doesn't even really matter if Iever create anything that's
worthy of even looking at.
It's just, yeah, hard todescribe.
Speaker 1 (32:47):
Well, I know, I know what you're talking about.
Yeah, I have found it hard tomake art just for myself or for
fun.
It feels very much like a jobnow for painting, but like I've
started doing things like makingpottery or crocheting, like I
(33:11):
think it's like argumi I can'tI'm not sure if I'm saying that
right, but like the littleanimals and stuff, where it's
like this creativity or thislike need to make things, even
if it's like baking in thekitchen or cooking, or like we
like have this inner need tocreate things, and I think,
(33:31):
again, it just it's part of oursouls to to do this, and I think
that's really just.
What's wrong with the world isthat people are just not being
creative enough.
We must inspire them to makethings.
Speaker 3 (33:46):
We're not making time for it, we're all just well.
There's a busyness epidemicright now.
I talk about it a lot, you know, and people are sucked into it.
It's like an addiction.
They're addicted to busynessand there's a whole
psychological thing behind it.
It's like an addiction.
They're addicted to busynessand there's a whole
psychological thing behind it.
But yeah, I agree with you.
(34:07):
I think that I've been sayingfor some time now.
It's my belief that creativesare the group of people that
have the power to heal humanity.
If not us, who?
We're the innovators, we're thecreators, we're the innovators,
we're the problem solvers.
If not us, who will come upwith a plan to heal humanity?
(34:28):
Now, whether we'll step up anddo that or not remains to be
seen, but I do believe that wehold the power.
Speaker 1 (34:35):
Yeah, I think that is so true.
I think you're right, like thehealing part of it and the good
versus evil kind of thing, wherea lot of people find, you know,
if I'm not valuable, if I'm notproductive, making art seems,
you know, like it's a waste oftime.
Because even if, like, ifyou're and that's for me as a
(34:57):
big struggle if I'm not makingthis for money, then it's a
waste of time.
I should be working on all thislong to-do list of things that
I need to be doing, um, but Iget cranky when I'm not creative
and having fun and it just it'slike you just feel off, um,
when that isn't happening inyour life, or I do, and even I
(35:20):
do things like creativeprocrastination where I'll be
like, well, I'm just going tomake this cake and not work on
that painting, or I'm going tocrochet this, when I you know
there's a long list of thingswhere I should be being
productive, but that list willnever end, right.
Speaker 3 (35:38):
We have to take these mental breaks and refuel you
just have to set the list asidefor a little while and get your
time in.
The first time I startedpainting, I made myself the
promise that I would never everpay a bill with painting money.
Speaker 1 (35:57):
Really why.
Speaker 3 (36:01):
Because I took another hobby that I loved at
one point in time and tried tomake it into a business and it
ruined it for me.
Oh yeah, took all the joy outof it and it was just this have
to crank out stuff.
And I mean, I I had a love forphotography for many years and
then I shot for a couple yearsprofessionally and sent, and
that was many years.
(36:22):
And then I shot for a couple ofyears professionally, and that
was many years ago and I haven'ttouched photography in almost
two decades, or maybe it hasbeen about two decades, because
it just ruined it.
So when I started painting, Isaid I'm not saying I won't sell
a painting, but I will never,ever plan to pay bills of any
sort.
If I sell a painting, then I'mgoing to the mall to buy myself
(36:45):
something with that money.
It's never going to be about,you know, paying bills.
And I'm glad that I've stuck tothat, you know, because the
painting is just for my own joy.
And I thought I've told DwightI wonder what I do when I have
so many canvases that I can'tstore them anymore.
And I said I'll just startdonating them to nonprofit
organizations that can auctionthem off or something.
(37:08):
If I get good enough to warrantthat.
Right now I don't think thatyou know you could probably put
my paintings in an auction andget much for them there.
Speaker 1 (37:18):
That painting on your wall says otherwise.
So Thank you.
I didn't get much forum there,that painting on your wall says
otherwise.
Speaker 3 (37:22):
Well, thank you.
I'm a little rusty.
I haven't painted anything likethat in a long time, but I'm
definitely having fun.
Speaker 1 (37:31):
I was like what if you combined your photography
with your painting and youpainted your photographs?
Or I don't know.
Speaker 3 (37:41):
You know I'm already thinking about that.
I've got kind of a plan thatI'm going to work on.
I've started doing imagetransfer on gels that's what I'm
talking about and I think I'mgoing to do my own photos rather
than just something that I pullout of a magazine or something
We'll see.
I want to direct us for aminute, because we've got about
(38:01):
maybe 15 minutes left.
I want to direct us back tocommunity and I want to hear a
little bit more specificallyabout your experience of how
your creative life and yourjourney, your business, what
role community plays in that andhow you benefit from it and why
(38:25):
it's so important, because wecan't drive that home enough.
There's so many creatives thatwork in isolation and they don't
have the power of communitybehind them, and I don't get it
(38:45):
them and I don't get it.
Speaker 1 (38:46):
Yeah, I well, now that I'm a full-time artist, to
speak on isolation, I spend mymost of my day alone, um, so
that's quite different.
I'm actually very extrovertedand I love talking to people and
, um and so to be in this likelittle vacuum of in my own space
where I'm like, you know, Idon't have anybody to chat with,
so that means like I have foundmore value and like I need to
(39:10):
invest in relationships andthings in community, because I
don't have that during the day.
You know, some people are likepeopled out because they work
all day and they are surroundedby people and then by the time
they get home they're like, oh,like enough.
But I'm the opposite.
I'm like people come, I need totalk to you and I just remember
, you know, and I really youknow my art community.
(39:35):
I didn't really find it untilcollege and I really enjoyed
calling college't have anypublic art.
You know there was no artgalleries, no place to gather,
no, I know it was just like aghost town for artists and so
(40:06):
you were living in hell.
I know I was like but yeah, Iworked in Dallas.
So you know, in between there Ifound McKinney and I started
going to McKinney CreativeCommunity and that was a
gathering of artists andcreatives and I really enjoyed
that.
And then I ended up runningthat for several years and I
(40:28):
just really enjoyed thecommunity and especially here in
McKinney, like I have neversince like experienced this type
of community where it's youwalk into downtown and you're
like hey Bob, hey Sue, how'syour family?
You know, it was just like yousaw each other, you knew each
other, and it wasn't so like youdart out of your house, put
(40:49):
some trash cans out and you comeback in.
Like people are out herewalking around and they're
involved in the community,they're doing things, there's
events.
I just never experienced thatand so I just kind of really dug
my claws in.
So when that gallery closed, Iwas like, no, I don't want to
leave here.
Like I, this is where I havefound my people and um, just
(41:12):
inspiring and kind andencouraging.
And um, and I have found thatin Dallas too, uh, through the
creative mornings, and that hasbeen really wonderful.
Um, and again, like I'm reallyfinding that there's community
everywhere, uh, but it is aboutfinding your people and putting
yourself out there, um, and tobe able to talk shop with other
(41:35):
artists and, you know, talkabout your woes, or you know,
like problems that you'reworking on, and to have a
perspective from someone else,or you know they might have
already done what you're tryingto do and they can tell you.
You know the shortcut or, andjust to be, to have those
friendships and and to feel seen.
(41:56):
Friendships and um, and to feelseen, uh, because when I hang
out with, like certain peopleand they're like business,
business, business and uh, andyou're just like, when can I
talk about birds or painting, oryou know they like it's, these
are your people and you and you,you like, bubble up with
excitement and joy when you getto connect in these ways and so
(42:21):
to find that community, I meanit's just once you experience it
.
You, you don't want to give itup, like you oh my god, you go
out of your way you will drive40 miles to another town to
connect with people like it'sit's.
It fills you up in a way that somany things can't.
Speaker 3 (42:42):
I mean, everything we do is about creatives and
creativity, and not just becauseprofessionally it's part of
what we're doing.
But personally we've surroundedourselves.
All of our friends now arecreatives and we go to art stuff
multiple times a week.
Speaker 1 (43:00):
Yeah, it's good.
Speaker 3 (43:02):
You know you talked about being in isolation during
the day and having to get yourpeople needs met.
That is actually, to me, betterthan being the person who works
with people all day becausethey don't get to pick who they
work with all day long.
That's true, they're exhaustedand they're done with people at
the end of the day, and thenthey don't get to pick who they
work with all day long, butthey're exhausted and they're
done with people at the end ofthe day and then they don't want
to be out.
And I think it's much betterthe way you're describing it,
(43:24):
because when you do get out, youget to pick and choose who you
want to hang out with and do asmuch or as little as you want.
It's not this well, I got to bewith these assholes for eight
hours.
Speaker 1 (43:37):
Yeah, very true, that's very true.
Yeah, I, you know, I've done mytime of hanging out with
assholes for eight hours forsure, and I think you're right.
I, I didn't really.
I thought I was like, oh, I'mlonely all day long, but I think
you have put a new perspectiveon that for me.
I, I get to choose the peoplethat I hang out with and that's,
(43:58):
that's a a beautiful thing.
Beautiful thing, yeah, and asmuch or little as you like, you
know.
Yeah, really, yeah, my, I can't, I can't say enough for my
friendships and the and thepeople that I have surrounded
(44:20):
myself with.
Speaker 2 (44:21):
They're truly a blessing, I agree, I have to say
we always feel lifted in yourpresence and there's something
to be said about how thosemurals that you leave are like a
piece of yourself.
They're a legacy, and I smileanytime I, I walk past and I,
(44:41):
you know, even if it's just alittle bird, you know, I think,
oh, that that might be one ofAndrea's.
Speaker 1 (44:49):
Yes, birds are the best marketing tool I have.
I have come up with Cause.
Anytime anybody sees a bird,they're like oh, andrea, yeah,
oh andrea, yeah, you, you'vekind of gotten a reputation.
Speaker 3 (45:01):
It's part of your branding it really is, yeah yeah
let's see right here bird as apaintbrush like we we recently
decided to incorporate tinylittle hot pink rubber duckies
as our brand.
Speaker 1 (45:19):
I love those.
Speaker 3 (45:21):
And yeah, we've got a bunch of them and we give them
away wherever we go and yeah,they get attention for sure.
Speaker 1 (45:30):
Yeah, a little, a little joyful thing.
Speaker 3 (45:33):
Yep, yep.
Well, dwight, do you, do youwant to ask Andrea, our Andrea,
our big question?
We save a big question for theend.
Speaker 2 (45:41):
Yeah, no, maddox, why don't you deliver the?
Speaker 3 (45:44):
big question Me.
Okay, all right, this is thebig question of the hour In your
current creative life.
What is the biggest pain point,that challenge that, if solved,
would be a game changer foryour creative journey?
Speaker 1 (46:11):
Time juggling everything.
Being a mom, being a daughtermy mom is 76 and she's you know
I have to take care of her.
Being an entrepreneur, so justreally juggling everything.
I sometimes joke I'm like Iwish I had a wife at home that
(46:32):
was taking care of things athome or whatever you know, like,
like those kinds of thingswhere it's the trying to do
everything is probably mybiggest pain point and you can't
juggle everything well, all thetime, right, like you can't be
spending all plates all the time, or I can't, I have not figured
it out.
(46:52):
Um, so it always seems likesomething is is, if you're
focusing on one thing, thenother things kind of fall off,
and that you're constantlytrying to have to shift on that,
and even, like thinking abouthiring help.
So if, like, if I hired help todo either watching my child or
(47:13):
you know I feel like I'm losingsomething or like helping in my
business, or you know I feellike I'm losing something or
like helping in my business andthat you know hiring people and
managing people is just like awhole other thing, right?
So, yeah, definitely my biggestpain point is not having enough
time or energy.
I would, you know, I try to begood about caffeine consumption
(47:35):
and things like that, but I'mtired, y'all, I'm so tired.
So, yeah, yeah, if I could havemore energy and more time, that
would be great, um, to do allthe things.
But we don't right, this lifeis finite, like it.
It is not infinite.
Um, finite, um, and I'm tryingto do as much with the time that
(48:00):
I have, uh, that I I can,because you don't, you know, you
never know how things are goingto be.
It's um, the memento mori islike a big thing for me, um,
which means remember you mustdie, and it sounds very dark and
morbid, but truly for me, that,especially over the past few
(48:21):
years, has made a big impact onhow I choose to live my life and
and how I'm going to live everyday.
I think it's really important tospend our time the best way
that we can.
And if things are not workingout for you or you know I'm not
saying like a bad day but ifsomething continues to be a
(48:43):
problem for you, change it.
It's scary, like I said earlier, you know, there were things in
my life or jumping from a highpaying job to a low paying job,
or getting a divorce, or thesethings that seem so hard but
they are creating so much stressand pressure for you and then
you end up leaving and doingsomething different and it ends
(49:04):
up being better than you couldever imagine.
And I truly believe that if youset out like six months or a
year on a calendar and you'restill complaining about
something, change it, make achange and you're still
complaining about something,change it.
Speaker 3 (49:18):
Make the change.
I think that's like words ofcomplete wisdom.
Andrea, I relate to so muchabout what you're saying.
I don't have, you know, I'm nota single mother.
I don't have a child, but Iwonder sometimes if it could be
(49:38):
as simple as giving ourselves alittle bit of grace and maybe
not holding ourselves to suchhigh standards.
Maybe we Does that make sense?
Speaker 1 (49:47):
Yeah, that's good for everybody else, Maddox, but not
just kidding.
Speaker 3 (49:52):
I mean just to do what you can do and be OK with
the part that you can't do.
Speaker 1 (49:57):
Yes, that is so true, and I have been trying to
practice that.
Speaker 2 (50:02):
Well, I would like to offer I mean, that is some
choice stoic wisdom, but I alsosee the solution as lying inside
of building a soul alignedcommunity.
You know there are resourcesthat you can tap and as you
(50:24):
build your community, you canreach into that library of those
who have access to give in theway of time, in the way of their
knowledge, in the way of timeand the way of their, their,
their knowledge and the way oftheir talents, and the the more
you you you put into it, themore you'll be able to get out
(50:47):
of it.
It's, it can seem, never ending.
Speaker 1 (50:51):
It's very true, yeah, and there are seasons where I
can give um, and then there areseasons that you need to take.
Speaker 3 (50:57):
Yeah, absolutely, Boy , say that again please.
Speaker 1 (51:02):
Seasons where you need, you give, and then there
are seasons that you take, andit you know.
Sometimes you're the friend whois strong and you have the
shoulder to cry on, andsometimes you're the friend who
needs a shoulder to cry on.
Speaker 3 (51:16):
It definitely needs to be a two-way street.
There are too many one-waystreets in life.
Speaker 1 (51:21):
Yes, I wholeheartedly agree.
Speaker 3 (51:24):
Andrea, this has been absolutely amazing.
I've so enjoyed.
I had a million more questions.
Speaker 1 (51:31):
We can do a part two at another time.
Speaker 3 (51:35):
Absolutely.
Thank you so much for giving usan hour of your time today.
This was completely delightful.
Speaker 1 (51:41):
Yeah, Thank you guys so much for having me and I'm so
glad that you're doing this andputting out, you know, the, the
heart of the art, out into theworld and and.
I have found more value and like I need to invest
in relationships and things incommunity because I don't have
that during the day.
You know, some people are likepeopled out because they work
all day and they are surroundedby people and then then by the
time they get home they're like,oh, like enough.
But I'm the opposite.
I'm like people come, I need totalk to you and I just remember
(00:34):
.
You know I really you know myart community.
I didn't really find it untilcollege.
Speaker 2 (00:52):
Hi, this is Dwight Spencer, one of the Connections
and Community Guys.
I'm joined by other Connectionand Community Guy, Maddox, and
you're listening to For the Loveof Creatives, a podcast about
the intersection of creativityand community.
Today, we are joined by ourfeatured guest, Andrea Holmes, a
McKinney-based muralist.
(01:14):
While she's based in Texas,she's working all over the world
.
You may have seen some of herwork.
She's known as the Bird Ladyand she's the host of Birdtober,
and there are a lot of fun andinteresting facts about Andrea,
but who better to tell us alittle bit about who she is than
Andrea Holmes herself?
Take it away, Andrea.
Speaker 1 (01:34):
Hi, how are you guys?
Great Good, I am Andrea Holmesand I am a mural artist.
I've been doing those for aboutfive years, but I've been a
painter for over the past 15years and I've always been an
(01:56):
art student and I just thoughtit couldn't be a real job and I
went into other avenues of work.
Couldn't be a real job and Iwent into other avenues of work.
But over time I have figured itout and now I feel like I can
say that I'm a successfulfull-time artist.
I've been doing art full-timefor the past eight years, which
(02:18):
feels like a big accomplishment.
And I am the co-author of Artmakes magic with my friend Beth
Fields, and that is about beinga fairy art mother and inspiring
other artists and being amentor.
Um, and it has practical tipsand it really talks about how
there's different pathways upthe mountain for being an artist
(02:39):
.
It's not like a doctor whereyou do this, this and this and
now you're a doctor.
Art's not that.
A doctor where you do this,this and this and now you're a
doctor Art's not that kind ofjourney.
So I also do 60 Second BadPortraits, which is just a
really fun, literally just aone-minute quick doodle of
someone, and those have beenreally great and successful,
(03:07):
really great and successful.
And I am on the board ofMillhouse, which is a creative
center that empowers women toflourish.
Here in McKinney, I'm a part ofleadership McKinney, so I'm
very active in a lot of things.
I'm also a mom.
My daughter and I have a littleMuppet that runs around the
house.
He is a little grumpy, brusselsthe Griffin, and so that's
(03:28):
basically me in a nutshell.
Speaker 3 (03:32):
You are a woman of accomplishment.
You know to be a single mom anda pet.
You know.
And to make your living tosupport you and your daughter
with your art is quite anachievement.
Speaker 1 (03:47):
It is, and I have to remember that it is a lot of
times when you're in things youdon't see what you've
accomplished and how far you'vecome.
And so to not only be an artistand making ends meet and paying
bills and things like that, butto actually be flourishing and
(04:09):
getting to travel all over theworld and do extraordinary
things, it's more than I couldhave ever dreamed of or thought
possible, truly.
Speaker 3 (04:20):
You know, I just want to say, andrea, that you know
we at this point with thepodcast have had conversations
with just shy of 40 creativesnow, not all artists, but all
creatives and you are right upthere at the top of a very, very
tiny percentage who actually dosupport themselves fully with
(04:45):
their craft.
So I just want to drive thathome.
You know that's quite anaccomplishment.
Speaker 1 (04:50):
Thank you.
I think I put this into thebook but I wrote about you just
don't really know what, howpeople are doing what they're
doing.
Do they have a spouse, do theyhave parents or a trust fund, or
you know?
I just would always look atother artists as I have been
growing and just being like howdo they do it?
But you just don't know whattheir backstory is and how are
(05:14):
they making sales.
Maybe they have a father whowas able to help them get into
the art world or, you know, dothings with them, or maybe they
have a husband that helps themdo all the business side.
You just have no idea what kindof support systems people have.
And so it's.
To run my own business, andsuccessfully, is pretty cool and
(05:40):
I do wear that with pridebecause I've worked very hard at
it and I'm grateful for everybit of the crazy things that
I've been through to get me here.
Speaker 3 (05:56):
Well, and I also without you.
Oh, go ahead, dwight.
Speaker 2 (05:59):
Well, I was just going to say that you brought up
how hard it is to think ofanything in a fashion that's
other than linear.
You know how when you'reinvolved in something, you're so
close to it, you can't reallyappreciate the magnitude of what
it took to get to that point.
What was it like when you werefirst having, you know, those,
(06:27):
those inklings toward, you know,maybe possibly doing something
with art?
I mean, what, what was, whatwere those thoughts and feelings
like?
Speaker 1 (06:38):
So I always wanted to be an artist but I just didn't
think it was viable and that youknow starving artist mentality,
all of that.
And so I went into school formore biology, zoology, like
veterinarian type thing, andthen I actually worked at a
veterinarian clinic and realizedquickly I was like, oh, this
isn't for me.
This is not all the puppies andkittens and all the love and
(07:00):
warm fuzzies that I was hopingit would be.
And so I had always been takingart classes on the side as my
electives, things like that,just because I truly enjoyed it.
And I actually didn't startpainting until I graduated
college.
I had a professor that said youknow, you guys don't even know
how to draw.
We need to start with thebasics.
(07:22):
And so I dropped it.
To draw, we need to start withthe basics, and so I dropped it.
Um, so I eventually startedtaking painting classes.
Um, after you know I hadgraduated, I couldn't find a job
in art.
I have an arts and technologydegree.
I was like I'm going to workfor Pixar and um, but then it
was like 2009,.
You know, it was really hard tofind a job.
(07:42):
So I was working in catering.
I worked at a as a server in arestaurant, I worked part-time
in an art gallery and then Iworked for a TV show called
Cheaters, and so I just had allthis modge podge and then I
could just feel my creative souldying and I wanted to, you know
, nurture it.
So I took classes on the side,um, and then I entered into an
(08:04):
art show and they were like youdon't even have hangers on here,
go to this art gallery.
I got a job at the art galleryand then I was able to quit all
of the other jobs.
It was a big pay cut, a hugepay cut, but I knew that it was
the right choice.
It was probably one of thebetter choices that I've made.
(08:25):
That and getting divorced was toto go from, you know, making
lots of money, um, especiallywhen I was working at the
catering job.
I became a manager and, like,they gave me like paid for my
gas and I had, you know it was alot of money, a lot of stress,
but a lot of money.
But then to find this art jobin an art gallery, that it was
(08:45):
like almost half of a pay cut.
But I had a husband at thatpoint and so I could make that
decision and I did and I justgrew through working at that job
I learned so much informationabout the art world and meeting
other artists and you know,working on the large format
(09:06):
printing machines to do likecanvas prints, g clays, um,
working in a gallery, you knowhow do you price stuff.
All of that it was so valuable.
So you know, you can see thislittle path that I was carving
out.
And then I started doing artshows and art festivals.
I started teaching classes andthen, and then eventually I I
(09:33):
started to be an artist fulltime.
The gallery that I was workingwith ended up closing and so I
had had my daughter.
At that point she was about ayear and a half old and it was
like, do you put her in daycare?
And then I could only work parttime and it was like Monday
through Wednesday who's hiringfor?
Monday through Wednesday,nobody.
(09:53):
And so I decided to stay homeand again, I had the ability to
do that because I had someone tosupport me at that point.
The ability to do that becauseI had someone to support me at
that point.
And, um, I worked on my art andI was just taking a lot of
(10:14):
commissions and doing dailyprojects like the um, uh, you
know, a 30 day art challenge, um, then, which led to Birdtober
and doing that every year, andthis will be my seventh year and
um, and then I started gettinginto more things.
So it just was this longpathway.
So art for me has just alwaysbeen there, and the more that I
(10:37):
got into it I was like oh, likethis is, there is money here and
art and um, people spendbillions of dollars in art.
It's a huge industry and whenyou really look around and see
how much art really toucheseverything, hold on my dog.
This is the one thing I didn'tthink of.
(10:59):
He does this every time I waslooking for this squeaky toy
Cause he brings it out everytime I'm on a zoom call.
But I just, I just and I lostmy train of thought.
I'm so sorry.
You tried to prepare me forthis.
Speaker 3 (11:17):
You know there was something that you said earlier.
I want to track back a littlebit.
I'm still kind of hanging on.
You do art full time becauseit's such a big deal.
Everything we talk about isabout that intersection of
community and creativity, and Iknow that you'd get commissioned
work to do murals where youhave to travel, which lets me
(11:41):
know that in order to do thatand be a single mom, you have to
have quite a support system tobe able to do that, and that's a
beautiful example of howcommunity impacts our creative
life.
You couldn't do that if youdidn't have the support
community.
Speaker 1 (11:58):
There are times where she's with her dad, so I can
plan like, okay, she's going tobe with her dad, this is a week,
I can do something, so let'splan for that.
Or grandma helps out, and thenI have a trip coming up that my
sister-in-law is going to comehelp out.
So I really do have a supportsystem and for me, one of my
(12:21):
hugest pillars of where I get mystrength from is from friends
and family and relationships.
I mean, I don't think I wouldhave made it through these past
five years.
They've been very turbulent.
Now my career has grownexponentially and it's been
wonderful, but at the same timemy personal life has just been
(12:42):
chaos and turbulence the wholetime.
But people wouldn't know that,but it's just been crazy.
And without those friends thatI especially my friends that
I've surrounded myself with Ican't imagine getting through
any of it.
I don't know how people do itwithout those kinds of
connections.
Speaker 3 (13:05):
Well said, andrea.
We love that.
We are so all about peoplemagic and you're describing a
variation of people magic.
Speaker 1 (13:16):
Yeah, Relationships are so important, even through
business.
Right Connections are sometimescalled networking, which is,
you know, an ugly word forartists.
Speaker 3 (13:32):
We don't use the N word in our house.
Speaker 1 (13:36):
It really is.
Relationships is what it trulyis.
With a lot of the businesseshere in downtown McKinney.
You know I worked down here.
I built relationships in thatway.
People trusted me and then Iwas able to start doing projects
down here.
People saw my caliber of work.
I'm easy to work with.
(13:57):
You sit and work in someone'sbusiness If you're painting a
mural.
You're there for like a week ormore and you talk to these
people and you learn about theirlife and then even afterwards I
continue to go back to theseplaces and visit their
restaurants or shops or andcontinue to have relationships
with them because you genuinelylike them and you're invested
(14:20):
and you you're cheering them onand they're cheering you on and,
um, and I especially love thathere in McKinney and I've even
going to Hawaii and that waslike a trip of a lifetime and
only because if I'd made aproject which is the 100 bird
mural project, it's based off ofa painting project that I had
(14:41):
done which was 100 bird, hundredbird paintings Um, and I wanted
to figure out how to paint whatI wanted to paint, um, versus
like signs and billboards forbusinesses, um, and really do
art murals and this was mysolution.
But you know, these peoplereached out from Hawaii and they
invited me in.
(15:02):
They let me stay in one oftheir Airbnbs.
They had, you know, ceremoniesand meet the artist night, where
they all had home cooked foodand I learned how to do lays and
like we were sitting around atable and making lays together
with leaves.
And I mean to travel across theworld, or several thousand
(15:25):
miles, and be somewhere for justeight days and then immediately
you have a connection withsomeone and I think that is
universal and that's a huge partof this project is for me to
have a sense of awe and wonderand experience the world in this
way.
But it's really also aboutconnecting with people all over
(15:45):
the world, because when you getinto these small towns or places
or you kind of get a slice oflife moment, it's really
beautiful and you realize, inspite of all the chaos and drama
that you see online andeverything that you know, people
are quite wonderful and lovingand caring and they're living
(16:09):
their lives and it can be areally good place as much as it
can be a bad place, and I reallycreate my art for me to have
joy, because life is crazy andit brings me joy and I want to
bring that to other peoplethrough my artwork, with the
bright, colorful things and likebirds.
(16:30):
They're just like jewels to me.
You know they're just.
They come in a variety of sizes, shapes, colors.
It's just an endless subjectmatter to me.
Um.
So to be able to do that andand spread that joy throughout
the world and make thoseconnections and travel and have
on and wonder, I mean it's quiteincredible and I feel very
(16:51):
lucky that I am able to do it,because I know a lot of people
work, everybody can work hard,right, but not everybody gets
these opportunities.
So a lot of hard work and alittle bit of luck.
Speaker 3 (17:07):
You know there's something very unique about what
you do as an artist.
You know I'm sitting my mind ispercolating here and I'm
thinking about how most artistspaint on canvases, or you know,
and probably maybe a smallpercentage of what they do is
commissioned work.
Most of it's what we call specwork.
(17:29):
But as a muralist you can'tjust really go out and paint a
wall.
I mean, I guess graffitihappens all the time, but that's
not what you do, you know.
So pretty much all of yourmurals have to be commissioned
work, right?
Speaker 1 (17:50):
I do approach places a lot of times.
You know working with cities,or you know there's grants and
things available, but there are.
It's not just like whatever Iwant to do, they are adding in
the ingredients.
So I think of this like a kindof like I'm building a recipe,
um, and I for me, especiallywith this bird project, it's my
(18:13):
only thing is it needs to have abird in it, but each new
location, each new person that Iwork with gets to add in the
ingredients and I get to buildsomething cool based off of that
and it'll be unique because ofthat and I think it'll have a
lot of flavor and joy put intoit, because I'm working on it
(18:35):
with other people and when youcollaborate, you build something
better because it's not justyou and your own space.
It gives you new ideas, itgives you, um, you know,
creative restrictions and, um, Ithink because of that I create
better work.
Speaker 2 (18:57):
That's beautiful.
I'm curious what have you had achance to discover that was
surprising in any of this workor in your travels easier.
Speaker 1 (19:17):
It feels which sounds so awful and I'm sure that's
like an infuriating thing to say, but I don't know if it's
because I feel like maybe I havefinally, like I'm really in a
place that I should be, Like Ihave found my passion.
I'm, you know, like this.
It's so that it feels easybecause I'm not fighting against
(19:39):
something or trying to besomething.
I'm not or trying to fit into acategory that I'm not.
But if I could go back and tellmyself like, hey, little baby
artist, Andrea, you know, thisis what you're going to be doing
and this is how much people aregoing to pay you, my mind would
(19:59):
just be like, you know, like I,I would never.
I I wanted it to be good, but Ididn't think it could be this
good and that things couldsurpass my expectations is
probably the biggest thing thatI just didn't see coming um and
so, but I've just I verystubborn um throughout all of
(20:24):
this and just very persistent umand willing to pivot, and those
were probably the things thatyou know that have helped me
grow and be able to besuccessful is just being just,
I'm a Ram, you know, Aries Ram,and I'm an ox in the Chinese one
(20:44):
.
I think I'm just like, I'msteadfast, I just kind of trudge
through things.
You know the grit factor, but Ijust I wanted it.
I want to be an artist.
I want, I want the things thatcome along with it.
I eat, breathe, sleep art.
I don't know, it's all art allthe time.
(21:07):
I can't imagine people whodon't have art in their lives.
What is that even like?
Or even the community that artbrings?
You don't have those people inyour life.
No wonder everybody's so sadpeople in your life.
Speaker 3 (21:20):
Like what.
No wonder everybody's so sad.
There is something quitemagical about being surrounded
by other creative people.
You know I've been writingabout it lately, searched for my
people my whole life and justin the last couple of years, you
know, in probably the laststages of my life, I have found
my people, you know, and it'sjust been, it's been phenomenal.
(21:42):
You know you were talking aboutnever dreaming that you'd get
paid, what you get paid.
I had a mentor sometime, not toolong ago say to not just me,
but a group of people that werecreating, and he said you know,
don't ever feel bad about makingmoney, don't ever feel
embarrassed or ashamed or badabout making money, because, he
(22:06):
said, what you do changes theworld, what you do contributes
to humanity in a major way.
Now, they may not reallyrealize it like that, but that
doesn't matter.
It contributes, and the moremoney you have, the more people
you can help, the more peopleyou can touch, the more murals
(22:26):
you can paint, and it makessense.
We should never, ever feelashamed of getting money for our
work, because it's the enablingthing that lets us bring more
joy into the world.
Speaker 1 (22:42):
Yeah, it has extreme value, it truly does, and I, you
know you don't think about it.
But but companies likeStarbucks, you know they paid me
.
I'm going to use real numbersCause as an artist and when I
was trying to figure things out,I love to hear people's real
numbers but it was like, youknow, $20,000 to work on a
(23:07):
project for them, like they'reinvesting that Uptown Dallas,
it's like over a $60,000 project.
So these people, these bigcorporations with lots of money
and the ability to research,they're investing in art and
that says a lot.
The city of McKinney isinvesting a lot of money in art.
They added another $160,000 totheir arts commission to be able
to give out in grants.
That says so much and it'sreally a feather in someone's
(23:30):
cap to be able to invest in art,because you're not just
surviving, you're thriving, andthat's something unique to
(23:58):
humans is to create art andexpress ourselves this way, and
I think it's such a wonderfulthing and I was talking to my
brother the other day and I havesaid this in one of my
workshops that I do.
It's a goal workshop.
Every year I do this.
I keep thinking about giving itup, but I don't think I ever
will, because it's invaluable tome.
It's like a recap of your yearand then you look into the next
year and at one I said I waslike I want to make a hundred
thousand dollars as an artist.
And I remember people beinglike what?
Like that's crazy, and but Iwas like I'm just putting that
out there and I did it.
And then I was talking to mybrother the other day and I was
(24:21):
like I want to make a hundredthousand dollars in a mural and
he's like, well, you can make ahundred thousand dollars in a
year.
And I said no, in one mural.
And he was like what?
And I was like I just put incrazy things out there and it
happens.
So I I'm sure this is like aweird manifestation or type
thing or I don't know.
(24:42):
You're putting it onto theuniverse or you're setting a
goal and because you haven't setlimitations on yourself, you
look at things in different ways.
You try to figure out thatproblem in a different way so
that you can achieve it.
Because if you're like, well, Ionly can make this much as an
artist, but if you limityourself, then that's where
you're going to stay, so I liketo give myself these like absurd
(25:05):
challenges, or at the time,they seem absurd.
Um, to me, where I'm just likethat's crazy.
But, um, there, it's out thereand people are paying money for
art.
Like it's.
It's a, it has value, it's aninvestment.
It's not a cost, it's.
It's a, it has value, it's aninvestment.
It's not a cost, it's it trulyadds to people's lives.
(25:26):
They crave it, they need it.
Um, so I I really just and notthat it's about the money, um,
but for me it's like what does ahundred thousand dollar mural
look like?
Is that a giant building that Iget to paint on, where, like, a
whole city gets to see it?
Like, isn't that so cool that Icould leave that kind of mark?
Um, in the world and and, um,and you know, affect someone's
(25:52):
life in a way where they seethat mural and maybe they it
invokes a feeling of joy orpositivity, or if I could do
that in some way, it's such ait's I want to do it.
Speaker 3 (26:06):
I love your attitude, Love, love, love your attitude
and it's very inspiring.
And I just want to say, yes,it's very much about manifesting
and B there is nothing weird orcrazy about it.
Speaker 2 (26:19):
Let's, let's not overlook, just because we're
talking about manifesting.
I'd say, a key ingredient isthat determination that you
spoke of.
I mean you, you have put in thehard work, you've, you've
applied grit, and that's as mucha part of that formula for
manifestation as just settingthe crazy goal.
Speaker 1 (26:40):
Yes, I think so and I actively pursue like these
things, like I don't just set itout into the universe and be
like, okay, I'm ready, you know,I, I talk to people, I reach
out, I, um, I look foropportunities and, um, I'm
planting seeds all the time inorder to grow, and so I think
(27:06):
it's.
You just never know what'saround the corner for you, and
especially if you just keepapplying yourself, keep showing
up to the easel, keep you know,keep working at it.
And the next part is talkingabout it, you know, talking
about what you do.
This is one of my biggestcomponents of you know,
(27:28):
mastering your self-promotion isso key for artists and
creatives because you know youmake these wonderful things and
if you don't talk about them orshow them to people or share
them, then it's just lost and Ithink again, it adds real value
to people.
(27:48):
So you have to do the otherpart of the work, of the
marketing, of the promoting whatyou you're doing because it's
good.
We need more good things in theworld.
Speaker 3 (28:05):
You have to wear the entrepreneur's hat, so you can
wear the artist hat.
Speaker 1 (28:10):
Yes, and I'm like there is no shame in the book
that I wrote with my friend Beth.
She has a full-time job andshe's like waiting to, but like
she has a pension that she'slike working towards, and she
didn't go to art school and she,you know, didn't have a studio
outside of her house.
That has value too, whereyou're creating art, you know,
(28:32):
just for yourself, and thingslike that.
Like it doesn't not everybodyneeds to be a full time artist,
right.
Not everybody needs to be afull-time artist, right, but I
think art still has immensevalue, even if it's just for the
artist.
Speaker 2 (28:49):
But I want people to share it because I want to see
it Right and I can appreciatehow, when you're creating art,
it scratches an itch, itfulfills a need, like I
understand that there is so muchthat we don't know about how it
is that we're built.
We know that we need nutrition.
We know that we need sunlight.
(29:10):
We we know that we need to haverelationships.
We're discovering it's.
It's essential for making surethat we don't suffer from a host
of ailments, including dementia, suffer from a host of ailments
, including dementia, but artprobably factors in there pretty
highly and just because ithasn't been quantified, it's
something that we shouldprobably be diligent about
(29:31):
pursuing.
Speaker 1 (29:33):
Truly, I'm reading this book called Joyful and it
starts off talking about and Ican't remember the town or the
people or the players oranything, but it talks about
this town that is reallyimpoverished, there's a lot of
crime, and then the mayor comesin and he paints this whole
(29:54):
building, everything except forthe windows orange, like this
bright, vibrant orange.
And he starts this initiativewhere they start painting entire
buildings, even ones for thecity, in these bright, wonderful
colors and patterns and things,and then it decreased crime,
People that were afraid to openup their shops, which were
(30:15):
starting to open up again.
It brought in tourists and itrevitalized the whole town.
That is the power of art.
Speaker 3 (30:25):
It was brilliant, wasn't it?
Speaker 1 (30:27):
It was so brilliant and who would have thought a
coat of paint would make such abig difference?
But it truly does.
Your environment makes a bigdifference, and who you are and
how you respond to the world,and so I think that's again
where these artists are cominginto play, like, even if it's a
happy little sticker that makessomebody's day and it adds that
(30:48):
little dose of joy, or if it's abook or a poem or you know, all
these things add value and makelife better, and I think it's
like the fight of good versusevil, and I feel like art is
just on the side of good andthat it's kind of a
responsibility to get it outthere and put good things into
(31:13):
the world and be human.
Speaker 3 (31:18):
It's difficult to really express the value of art.
I have, about three months ago,started painting and almost
nobody's seen anything that I'mpainting, except for Dwight, a
couple of people have been inthe house.
Well, yeah, that I paintedprobably eight or nine years ago
(31:42):
, but yes, I painted thatcolorful thing right there on
the wall.
But I went for several yearsthat painting and I'm painting
again and I'm painting in thedining room.
So the whole second floor ofthe house is just like a studio
and it looks destroyed.
There's shit everywhere andit's just like destroyed.
(32:04):
There's shit everywhere andit's just like and it is amazing
to me how much this is justcontributing to my soul.
It's hard to really express orexplain, but there's just
something real magical, there'san element of play to it that
just really is just completelymagical.
You know, I don't think Irealized how much I wasn't
playing until I started playingin the paint.
(32:25):
I was a little intimidated atfirst and kind of afraid to jump
in and get started, and thenfinally I did and now I'm just
playing and just having justthis amazing time, and it
doesn't even really matter if Iever create anything that's
worthy of even looking at.
It's just, yeah, hard todescribe.
Speaker 1 (32:47):
Well, I know, I know what you're talking about.
Yeah, I have found it hard tomake art just for myself or for
fun.
It feels very much like a jobnow for painting, but like I've
started doing things like makingpottery or crocheting, like I
(33:11):
think it's like argumi I can'tI'm not sure if I'm saying that
right, but like the littleanimals and stuff, where it's
like this creativity or thislike need to make things, even
if it's like baking in thekitchen or cooking, or like we
like have this inner need tocreate things, and I think,
(33:31):
again, it just it's part of oursouls to to do this, and I think
that's really just.
What's wrong with the world isthat people are just not being
creative enough.
We must inspire them to makethings.
Speaker 3 (33:46):
We're not making time for it, we're all just well.
There's a busyness epidemicright now.
I talk about it a lot, you know, and people are sucked into it.
It's like an addiction.
They're addicted to busynessand there's a whole
psychological thing behind it.
It's like an addiction.
They're addicted to busynessand there's a whole
psychological thing behind it.
But yeah, I agree with you.
(34:07):
I think that I've been sayingfor some time now.
It's my belief that creativesare the group of people that
have the power to heal humanity.
If not us, who?
We're the innovators, we're thecreators, we're the innovators,
we're the problem solvers.
If not us, who will come upwith a plan to heal humanity?
(34:28):
Now, whether we'll step up anddo that or not remains to be
seen, but I do believe that wehold the power.
Speaker 1 (34:35):
Yeah, I think that is so true.
I think you're right, like thehealing part of it and the good
versus evil kind of thing, wherea lot of people find, you know,
if I'm not valuable, if I'm notproductive, making art seems,
you know, like it's a waste oftime.
Because even if, like, ifyou're and that's for me as a
(34:57):
big struggle if I'm not makingthis for money, then it's a
waste of time.
I should be working on all thislong to-do list of things that
I need to be doing, um, but Iget cranky when I'm not creative
and having fun and it just it'slike you just feel off, um,
when that isn't happening inyour life, or I do, and even I
(35:20):
do things like creativeprocrastination where I'll be
like, well, I'm just going tomake this cake and not work on
that painting, or I'm going tocrochet this, when I you know
there's a long list of thingswhere I should be being
productive, but that list willnever end, right.
Speaker 3 (35:38):
We have to take these mental breaks and refuel you
just have to set the list asidefor a little while and get your
time in.
The first time I startedpainting, I made myself the
promise that I would never everpay a bill with painting money.
Speaker 1 (35:57):
Really why.
Speaker 3 (36:01):
Because I took another hobby that I loved at
one point in time and tried tomake it into a business and it
ruined it for me.
Oh yeah, took all the joy outof it and it was just this have
to crank out stuff.
And I mean, I I had a love forphotography for many years and
then I shot for a couple yearsprofessionally and sent, and
that was many years.
(36:22):
And then I shot for a couple ofyears professionally, and that
was many years ago and I haven'ttouched photography in almost
two decades, or maybe it hasbeen about two decades, because
it just ruined it.
So when I started painting, Isaid I'm not saying I won't sell
a painting, but I will never,ever plan to pay bills of any
sort.
If I sell a painting, then I'mgoing to the mall to buy myself
(36:45):
something with that money.
It's never going to be about,you know, paying bills.
And I'm glad that I've stuck tothat, you know, because the
painting is just for my own joy.
And I thought I've told DwightI wonder what I do when I have
so many canvases that I can'tstore them anymore.
And I said I'll just startdonating them to nonprofit
organizations that can auctionthem off or something.
(37:08):
If I get good enough to warrantthat.
Right now I don't think thatyou know you could probably put
my paintings in an auction andget much for them there.
Speaker 1 (37:18):
That painting on your wall says otherwise.
So Thank you.
I didn't get much forum there,that painting on your wall says
otherwise.
Speaker 3 (37:22):
Well, thank you.
I'm a little rusty.
I haven't painted anything likethat in a long time, but I'm
definitely having fun.
Speaker 1 (37:31):
I was like what if you combined your photography
with your painting and youpainted your photographs?
Or I don't know.
Speaker 3 (37:41):
You know I'm already thinking about that.
I've got kind of a plan thatI'm going to work on.
I've started doing imagetransfer on gels that's what I'm
talking about and I think I'mgoing to do my own photos rather
than just something that I pullout of a magazine or something
We'll see.
I want to direct us for aminute, because we've got about
(38:01):
maybe 15 minutes left.
I want to direct us back tocommunity and I want to hear a
little bit more specificallyabout your experience of how
your creative life and yourjourney, your business, what
role community plays in that andhow you benefit from it and why
(38:25):
it's so important, because wecan't drive that home enough.
There's so many creatives thatwork in isolation and they don't
have the power of communitybehind them, and I don't get it
(38:45):
them and I don't get it.
Speaker 1 (38:46):
Yeah, I well, now that I'm a full-time artist, to
speak on isolation, I spend mymost of my day alone, um, so
that's quite different.
I'm actually very extrovertedand I love talking to people and
, um and so to be in this likelittle vacuum of in my own space
where I'm like, you know, Idon't have anybody to chat with,
so that means like I have foundmore value and like I need to
(39:10):
invest in relationships andthings in community, because I
don't have that during the day.
You know, some people are likepeopled out because they work
all day and they are surroundedby people and then by the time
they get home they're like, oh,like enough.
But I'm the opposite.
I'm like people come, I need totalk to you and I just remember
, you know, and I really youknow my art community.
(39:35):
I didn't really find it untilcollege and I really enjoyed
calling college't have anypublic art.
You know there was no artgalleries, no place to gather,
no, I know it was just like aghost town for artists and so
(40:06):
you were living in hell.
I know I was like but yeah, Iworked in Dallas.
So you know, in between there Ifound McKinney and I started
going to McKinney CreativeCommunity and that was a
gathering of artists andcreatives and I really enjoyed
that.
And then I ended up runningthat for several years and I
(40:28):
just really enjoyed thecommunity and especially here in
McKinney, like I have neversince like experienced this type
of community where it's youwalk into downtown and you're
like hey Bob, hey Sue, how'syour family?
You know, it was just like yousaw each other, you knew each
other, and it wasn't so like youdart out of your house, put
(40:49):
some trash cans out and you comeback in.
Like people are out herewalking around and they're
involved in the community,they're doing things, there's
events.
I just never experienced thatand so I just kind of really dug
my claws in.
So when that gallery closed, Iwas like, no, I don't want to
leave here.
Like I, this is where I havefound my people and um, just
(41:12):
inspiring and kind andencouraging.
And um, and I have found thatin Dallas too, uh, through the
creative mornings, and that hasbeen really wonderful.
Um, and again, like I'm reallyfinding that there's community
everywhere, uh, but it is aboutfinding your people and putting
yourself out there, um, and tobe able to talk shop with other
(41:35):
artists and, you know, talkabout your woes, or you know,
like problems that you'reworking on, and to have a
perspective from someone else,or you know they might have
already done what you're tryingto do and they can tell you.
You know the shortcut or, andjust to be, to have those
friendships and and to feel seen.
(41:56):
Friendships and um, and to feelseen, uh, because when I hang
out with, like certain peopleand they're like business,
business, business and uh, andyou're just like, when can I
talk about birds or painting, oryou know they like it's, these
are your people and you and you,you like, bubble up with
excitement and joy when you getto connect in these ways and so
(42:21):
to find that community, I meanit's just once you experience it
.
You, you don't want to give itup, like you oh my god, you go
out of your way you will drive40 miles to another town to
connect with people like it'sit's.
It fills you up in a way that somany things can't.
Speaker 3 (42:42):
I mean, everything we do is about creatives and
creativity, and not just becauseprofessionally it's part of
what we're doing.
But personally we've surroundedourselves.
All of our friends now arecreatives and we go to art stuff
multiple times a week.
Speaker 1 (43:00):
Yeah, it's good.
Speaker 3 (43:02):
You know you talked about being in isolation during
the day and having to get yourpeople needs met.
That is actually, to me, betterthan being the person who works
with people all day becausethey don't get to pick who they
work with all day long.
That's true, they're exhaustedand they're done with people at
the end of the day, and thenthey don't get to pick who they
work with all day long, butthey're exhausted and they're
done with people at the end ofthe day and then they don't want
to be out.
And I think it's much betterthe way you're describing it,
(43:24):
because when you do get out, youget to pick and choose who you
want to hang out with and do asmuch or as little as you want.
It's not this well, I got to bewith these assholes for eight
hours.
Speaker 1 (43:37):
Yeah, very true, that's very true.
Yeah, I, you know, I've done mytime of hanging out with
assholes for eight hours forsure, and I think you're right.
I, I didn't really.
I thought I was like, oh, I'mlonely all day long, but I think
you have put a new perspectiveon that for me.
I, I get to choose the peoplethat I hang out with and that's,
(43:58):
that's a a beautiful thing.
Beautiful thing, yeah, and asmuch or little as you like, you
know.
Yeah, really, yeah, my, I can't, I can't say enough for my
friendships and the and thepeople that I have surrounded
(44:20):
myself with.
Speaker 2 (44:21):
They're truly a blessing, I agree, I have to say
we always feel lifted in yourpresence and there's something
to be said about how thosemurals that you leave are like a
piece of yourself.
They're a legacy, and I smileanytime I, I walk past and I,
(44:41):
you know, even if it's just alittle bird, you know, I think,
oh, that that might be one ofAndrea's.
Speaker 1 (44:49):
Yes, birds are the best marketing tool I have.
I have come up with Cause.
Anytime anybody sees a bird,they're like oh, andrea, yeah,
oh andrea, yeah, you, you'vekind of gotten a reputation.
Speaker 3 (45:01):
It's part of your branding it really is, yeah yeah
let's see right here bird as apaintbrush like we we recently
decided to incorporate tinylittle hot pink rubber duckies
as our brand.
Speaker 1 (45:19):
I love those.
Speaker 3 (45:21):
And yeah, we've got a bunch of them and we give them
away wherever we go and yeah,they get attention for sure.
Speaker 1 (45:30):
Yeah, a little, a little joyful thing.
Speaker 3 (45:33):
Yep, yep.
Well, dwight, do you, do youwant to ask Andrea, our Andrea,
our big question?
We save a big question for theend.
Speaker 2 (45:41):
Yeah, no, maddox, why don't you deliver the?
Speaker 3 (45:44):
big question Me.
Okay, all right, this is thebig question of the hour In your
current creative life.
What is the biggest pain point,that challenge that, if solved,
would be a game changer foryour creative journey?
Speaker 1 (46:11):
Time juggling everything.
Being a mom, being a daughtermy mom is 76 and she's you know
I have to take care of her.
Being an entrepreneur, so justreally juggling everything.
I sometimes joke I'm like Iwish I had a wife at home that
(46:32):
was taking care of things athome or whatever you know, like,
like those kinds of thingswhere it's the trying to do
everything is probably mybiggest pain point and you can't
juggle everything well, all thetime, right, like you can't be
spending all plates all the time, or I can't, I have not figured
it out.
(46:52):
Um, so it always seems likesomething is is, if you're
focusing on one thing, thenother things kind of fall off,
and that you're constantlytrying to have to shift on that,
and even, like thinking abouthiring help.
So if, like, if I hired help todo either watching my child or
(47:13):
you know I feel like I'm losingsomething or like helping in my
business, or you know I feellike I'm losing something or
like helping in my business andthat you know hiring people and
managing people is just like awhole other thing, right?
So, yeah, definitely my biggestpain point is not having enough
time or energy.
I would, you know, I try to begood about caffeine consumption
(47:35):
and things like that, but I'mtired, y'all, I'm so tired.
So, yeah, yeah, if I could havemore energy and more time, that
would be great, um, to do allthe things.
But we don't right, this lifeis finite, like it.
It is not infinite.
Um, finite, um, and I'm tryingto do as much with the time that
(48:00):
I have, uh, that I I can,because you don't, you know, you
never know how things are goingto be.
It's um, the memento mori islike a big thing for me, um,
which means remember you mustdie, and it sounds very dark and
morbid, but truly for me, that,especially over the past few
(48:21):
years, has made a big impact onhow I choose to live my life and
and how I'm going to live everyday.
I think it's really important tospend our time the best way
that we can.
And if things are not workingout for you or you know I'm not
saying like a bad day but ifsomething continues to be a
(48:43):
problem for you, change it.
It's scary, like I said earlier, you know, there were things in
my life or jumping from a highpaying job to a low paying job,
or getting a divorce, or thesethings that seem so hard but
they are creating so much stressand pressure for you and then
you end up leaving and doingsomething different and it ends
(49:04):
up being better than you couldever imagine.
And I truly believe that if youset out like six months or a
year on a calendar and you'restill complaining about
something, change it, make achange and you're still
complaining about something,change it.
Speaker 3 (49:18):
Make the change.
I think that's like words ofcomplete wisdom.
Andrea, I relate to so muchabout what you're saying.
I don't have, you know, I'm nota single mother.
I don't have a child, but Iwonder sometimes if it could be
(49:38):
as simple as giving ourselves alittle bit of grace and maybe
not holding ourselves to suchhigh standards.
Maybe we Does that make sense?
Speaker 1 (49:47):
Yeah, that's good for everybody else, Maddox, but not
just kidding.
Speaker 3 (49:52):
I mean just to do what you can do and be OK with
the part that you can't do.
Speaker 1 (49:57):
Yes, that is so true, and I have been trying to
practice that.
Speaker 2 (50:02):
Well, I would like to offer I mean, that is some
choice stoic wisdom, but I alsosee the solution as lying inside
of building a soul alignedcommunity.
You know there are resourcesthat you can tap and as you
(50:24):
build your community, you canreach into that library of those
who have access to give in theway of time, in the way of their
knowledge, in the way of timeand the way of their, their,
their knowledge and the way oftheir talents, and the the more
you you you put into it, themore you'll be able to get out
(50:47):
of it.
It's, it can seem, never ending.
Speaker 1 (50:51):
It's very true, yeah, and there are seasons where I
can give um, and then there areseasons that you need to take.
Speaker 3 (50:57):
Yeah, absolutely, Boy , say that again please.
Speaker 1 (51:02):
Seasons where you need, you give, and then there
are seasons that you take, andit you know.
Sometimes you're the friend whois strong and you have the
shoulder to cry on, andsometimes you're the friend who
needs a shoulder to cry on.
Speaker 3 (51:16):
It definitely needs to be a two-way street.
There are too many one-waystreets in life.
Speaker 1 (51:21):
Yes, I wholeheartedly agree.
Speaker 3 (51:24):
Andrea, this has been absolutely amazing.
I've so enjoyed.
I had a million more questions.
Speaker 1 (51:31):
We can do a part two at another time.
Speaker 3 (51:35):
Absolutely.
Thank you so much for giving usan hour of your time today.
This was completely delightful.
Speaker 1 (51:41):
Yeah, Thank you guys so much for having me and I'm so
glad that you're doing this andputting out, you know, the, the
heart of the art, out into theworld and and.
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