My Journey – Chronicle 3 - Losing my Job AKA Answered Prayers.
My Journey – Losing my Job
As mentioned in my first Chronicle, I had started to meditate and was getting a lot of inspiration from the Ann and the Angels series and learning to see and feel my life with a different perspective. The Universe works in mysterious ways, but not to say that we don’t have a say in it !
I had been working for the same company since 2006. I loved my work, but by 2011 I had become very unhappy with the lack of harmony, to the point that I became physically ill. I suppose I could have quit, but being the stubborn person that I am, I didn’t. Each day became more and more unbearable. The only thing that released me was meditation and painting, and so my collection of paintings was becoming quite large. I look back and notice that many, though not all of my works in early 2015 had to do with flowers. Flowers are a happy thing !, I took enjoyment of both the process and the finished product. Sales were somewhat slow even though I was still selling to friends and made 2 more sales on Saatchi Art. Deep down I knew this was my calling, though I didn’t have all the details yet.
I remember one time I had a dream of my brother who had died tragically when he was 22 years old, when I do dream of him it is always very peaceful and we have the greatest conversations. When I woke up I had a strong urge to paint. So, I was standing in front of a blank canvas and I had a strong feeling of him being there, and I blurted out “ok you think you can paint, go ahead.” That is the day (Nov 7/2015) that “Beyond” was created (featured on this page). In fact he did know how to paint and had chosen to do it through me. (along with other energies, which I will talk about later). What I saw in the painting was the shape of a woman who was somewhat obscured behind a veil of mist. It later became my interpretation, that in all of us, or most of us, there is something Beyond the present moment. Perhaps something beyond the obvious, beyond the surface, It was sold a few months later to a collector who picked up something significant to her personal vibration.
So every morning I would get in my car and go to work. I would arrive a bit early, park my car and pull out my deck of Angel Cards. My request to the Universe was always the same, please help me get through this day, please bring love into the situation and as an option to something better, please have them buy me out. I would also sit and count my blessings, I expressed gratitude for just about everything. The sunrise that I watched every morning, birds singing, my comfy bed, my friends, my family, even the job that paid my bills at that moment, (while I waited for something better to happen). Gratitudes are limitless when you sit down and think about them. Gratitude had become second nature to me.
During my breaks and lunch I would go sit in my car and meditate. The situation itself at work did not improve, but I improved by embracing a feeling of being protected and not so alone. I kept meditating and focusing on being present and praying for better days ahead. I also kept asking for signs and one day on my way to work I stopped at McDonalds drive thru to get a coffee, I was rummaging through my purse for change and I looked up and the car ahead of me had a license plate that read IBETICAN . Of course I laughed out loud and thought they don't call this food chain the Golden Arches for no reason ! Other signs came through the Angel cards that I pulled and songs that would be playing when I turned on the radio, and a multitude of dimes that I found. I later found out that dimes are a sign that the Angles are with us.
On November 15, 2015 I was called in and presented with an offer to leave the company. I was so relieved ! I was now a free agent ! I could not thank the universe enough, for answering my prayers.
The first things on my agenda were to meditate daily, go to the gym and paint. To have the freedom , the time and the resources to do this, was such an incredible gift.
Now I could follow my heart which had truly been nagging at me, to take a different course in my career. But I still wasn’t sure on how to go about this. So I painted. The inspirations were very strong and very connected with the soul. I still very much felt that something or someone, much more powerful than my mind was creating these paintings.
I went on a short vacation to the Caribbean with my beautiful daughter. This gave us the opportunity to spend some much needed time together, away from the daily pressures of life. The bonus was the ocean, a body of water has always been my first choice to re-energize. While we were there, I received a notification from Saatchi Art that one of my works (Dawn) had been selected for the Pantone Colours of the Year Collection. This was totally unexpected. How on earth was this possible ? I was a self-taught emerging artist and been chosen among thousands of artists. I decided not to question it and just enjoy it.
I returned home thinking in the logical way, that I really should find a job. I sat at my computer and the thought crossed my mind that I should just take a quick look for Call for Artists in my area. Well, one website lead to another and I found myself on the www.Resartis.org and discovered a thing called “Artist Residencies” ! I knew very little about the Art world. But one thing I did know, is that I wanted to do this. I was very excited at this prospect, but also realizing that I had no Bio or CV or Exhibitions, or art background. I plunged ahead anyway, I applied to four residences in Europe (which I compare to applying to Harvard) ! So, I wrote from my heart, because it’s the only way I know how. To my complete amazement I was accepted at two residences which were to run back to back for the period of April 15-2016 to August 28-2016.