At 17 I put away my dream to be an artist. Art turned from dream to hobby. Sometimes people mistook me for an artist–usually because I wore a scarf or long earrings or too many bracelets. I don’t know. What do people mean when they say, “You look like an artist.”
I figured they meant, “You look weird,” but “artist” was more polite.
But I also wanted to be a writer and was happy enough to pursue that dream instead.
When I was 39, the barista in charge of scheduling art for my favorite coffee shop asked me if I wanted to hang my art on their walls. She was scheduling a year out and she had a spot. She’d only once seen a few sketches I’d done, and an art show…? Since when I had ever thought of having an art show?
But she and a friend talked me into it.
The idea was crazy. I’d never had a show. I wasn’t an artist. Although I was terrified. Well, I reasoned, have the show and move on with life.
But someone came to the show asked me to apply to the fine art festival. I couldn’t do that! I wasn’t a real artist. I let my husband talk me into it.
Someone from the festival introduced me to a shop owner. The shop owner asked if she could sell my art. Well…okay.
A musician saw my art online and asked me to design his CD cover.
Someone else commissioned me to do art for an anniversary gift.
I sold quite a lot of art–and much of it not to friends and family, but people who’d never met me.
And now I’ve met Niamh Clune, the founder of Plum Tree Books. Plum Tree is her vision, her dream, and she’s invited me to be part of that. I would never have met her if it hadn’t been for that barista. She was my butterfly.
That barista moved on to another city a while ago. She doesn’t know how she changed my life. I doubt a butterfly knows it wings are rumored to cause hurricanes. What a butterfly that would be if it knew.
Maybe you’ve changed someone’s life, and you don’t even know.
So, Niamh and The Plum Tree have published an anthology–The Butterfly Effect. Who knows what might happen if you took a look?
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Other participants in The Butterfly Effect are C.C.Cole
Niamh Clune, and
Nicole Smith. More to come.
Marta Pelrine-Bacon 
I LOVE this post, Marta! I hope our communion will lead to wonderful things. You are an extremely talented human being. I thank you so much for your contribution to The Butterfly Effect.
I’m glad you like the post. I hopes it was along the lines of what you had in mind. And I’m sure our communion will be bring wonderful things. I look forward to finding out.
That’s a beautiful book!
That is nice to hear, Miriam! Thanks for taking a look.
Hello. Marta! 🙂 Nice to meet you!
I like the looks of your artworks. Congrats on your success so far,
and I wish you the best in all your future endeavors. Niamh rocks!
Peace and Luvz, Uncle Tree (Keith Watson)
Niamh is brilliant. I’m glad to have met her.
And nice to meet you too!
I do often think about how small things that someone does can completely change someone’s life. I was like your barista to one of my friends actually – I had seen some of her artwork and knew it was good, but like you, she didn’t feel she was a real artist, and she didn’t have the confidence to pursue it. I work at a university and an email came round about a really good 12 week free course for aspiring artists being run by an an art college, and so I forwarded the email to her. She took the course and as she did so well, the college suggested that she take a full course there, which she did and then ended up taking a full art Degree. This then led to her getting a dream job working in a gallery running art workshops for children, and also doing tours of the gallery. She also exhibits and sells her own art locally. She always says how grateful she is to me for changing her life, but all I did was forward an email!
It is a wonderful feeling to know you’ve influenced someone’s life for the better. I feel that way about teaching.
And it proves how we can make a difference, one person, doing a small thing.
Lovely, thanks for sharing 🙂
And thanks for reading!
Fantastic story, Marta. Anyone but yourself that ever looked at your work knew that you were, and are, with a capital A.
My mother was always the artist, and for much of my life I didn’t think I could ever call myself that.
Thank you, Exploding Mary.
Absolutely Amazing, sonrisa….gracias for your artistic and creative gift through The Butterfly Effect and your Artistry, sontisa….Native
And thank you for taking the time to come over and read.
Lovely story Marta! I’m smiling as I read it:) Your art and words are simply beautiful!
Thank you, Irene. That’s a lovely thing to hear.
Hi Marta: This was a beautiful story..so enjoyed it..thanks for sharing…you are truly talented…:D
Thank you, Walking with Beverly, for stopping by. I love putting stories into the world, but I’m still always surprised when someone is listening.