I gave up social media for Lent.

I only post my work to Facebook, I do not go through the newsfeed and I have not been on Instagram.  Honestly, it has been amazingly refreshing.   I used to wake up, turn my phone on and immediately start to search the feeds and see what was happening.  I did this throughout the entire day and sometimes for 30 minutes at a time.    Looking at people's pages, pictures, reading comments and stories.  Not anymore... Thank God.

 With all this extra time, I have realized some new things about myself...

~ I can watercolor!  I had absolutely no idea.  Guess what...people are now paying me to paint pictures for them and I am selling the prints of my watercolors on my Etsy Gallery, pixANDpaints.  I am also adding lots of new inventory to my gallery!

~  I feel more confident in my work.  Now that I am not seeing other artists work, I am feeling more confident about myself.  I am no longer stuck in the rut of constantly comparing.  "I am free to do what I want... any ole time!" 

~ I am happier.  I do not see the negative, rude or just plain disgusting posts that people either post or comment on.  This makes for a much more positive and sunshiny day.

~ I have started exercising again and am losing the weight I gained over the past 6 months and have tons of energy which means our home is clean!!!!  Way awesome!!  When my home is dirty, my mood is down.  

Clean home = happy family = positive mood

~  I have the energy, endorphins and positivity to give my family and my work my very best which makes for an even happier mood!

~ I am literally never. in. my. phone.  YAY!  

I have no freaking idea what the Kardashians are doing!  Thank you Jesus...Praise the Lord.

I am now free to create, play and work on my gallery.  Instead of spending so much time looking at what everyone else was doing, I spent that time discovering me and what I can do.

Kids are being played with, books are being read, paintings are being painted and pictures are being taken.  Shannon and I are exercising and cooking together daily and we fall asleep by 9:30 and wake up by 6!

Seriously, I do not think we fully understand how constantly being connected impacts our health and our daily life.  I recommend you take a cleanse.  I don't think I will ever go back.  There is so much freedom and beauty in being disconnected.  

Blessings, 

Emily 

www.etsy.com/shop/pixANDpaints