Hello!!!!!

I don’t have a big painting to share with you all. I just felt like posting. So, here’s a small piece of my life, a ramble of my thoughts, and a little bit of art. I do pay for the website domain… might as well use it. Maybe I’ll do this more, just an informal blog post about my thoughts and life. Forgive the typos and lack of proper grammar, my thoughts go faster than my hands can keep up with sometimes haha!

Here’s a tiny bit of what’s been going on in my life recently:

My Instagram recently jumped over 35,000 followers! I’ve had several reels go viral, one reaching over 1 million people. WHAT?! To know that many people have seen my art, my writing, and me is astounding!!! 17 year old me would be so proud of myself for not giving up on the dream and desire God put in her heart many years ago, despite every ounce of negativity the enemy would throw at her. I am beyond thankful to God for the blessing of multiplying my ministry and audience. It’s not anything I’ve done, but because God has trusted me with this opportunity. I’ve only ever wanted to use my art as a ministry to encourage others and serve God, so I am extremely humbled that He has provided a way!

I took this screenshot on my birthday of my analytics. I used to pray that my art would reach millions. Well… God gave me such a beautiful birthday gift. Now I need a new prayer.

I worked til 3 a.m. for weeks straight packing print orders, and I’ve also been working on a ton of little custom typewriter paintings. I love making these orders for you all. I get to paint beautiful landscapes every day and then embroider a scripture on them. The thing that I love most is that they allow so many people to own custom, original artwork. I also love seeing when people purchase them for others from the notes you include on your orders. That makes my heart happy. If you have purchased one from me in the past, thank you! And now here’s the link for this shameless plug in case anyone else wants to buy one for themselves: https://www.emilymeadowsart.com/custom-artwork/p/typewriter-scripture-art

I turned 24 in March. It was such a wonderful birthday. Many well wishes from friends and family, perfect weather, cake of course, and loved more in that day than I have in my entire life. My dad also celebrated another birthday in which I gifted him the perfect fake owl for his garden. Do you pronounce owl with 2 syllables or 1? It’s more fun to say it with 2 even if it’s not technically right. “Ow-el”

I went downtown the other day. Noticed the Bradford pear tree blossoms blowing across the lawn of the city library. Watched couples and old friends catch up over brunch. Riffled through countless dresses in the packed hippie store that is overpriced but worth it. Passed a very pregnant lady in a tube top getting arrested for who knows what. Pray for her. Flipped through old records in the building that doubles as a market during the week and church on Sundays. Walked through the guitar shop that reminded me of my grandfather on the day he bought me my violin in the same store 12 years prior.

I find myself thinking of my grandparents a lot around this time of year. They both got sick in April and passed away during the month of May. I was my grandmother’s caretaker the last year of her life, so the spring weather reminds me a lot of endings and new beginnings. I drove from her funeral straight to my graduation. I’m happy I don’t have to do that this year.

I would give up a week of my life to sit in my grandparents’ kitchen in late spring for an afternoon. Nothing special, not knowing I only had that day with them. I would sit at their table with the white paint chipping off. My head would rest against the plaid blue and yellow wallpaper on the wall behind me. I would listen to the traffic buzz by. Mawmaw would flit around the kitchen to find me something to eat and fix me a strong cup of coffee. She would be very concerned that it was not hot enough for me. Then I would follow that with a sip of Coke. Pawpaw would ask me about my week and then share the hilarious dream he had the night before, struggling to get through the story without cracking himself up. His printer would need fixing. I would flip through the Land’s End catalog laying on one of the sticky place mats next to a well loved Bible. The sun would pour through the window in which Mawmaw would wave to the neighbors next door who would be washing dishes in their kitchen. The house would be hot because they were cold. The grandfather clock would chime. And I would sit and be.

I love that memory.

Here’s a list of very small things in my life that I’ve also loved recently:

I’ve watched You’ve Got Mail an embarrassing number of times, and it’s probably what inspired me to post on here what are normally private writings. Kathleen Kelly has my dream life, and it warms my heart knowing someone was lucky enough to get the privilege of designing her apartment and the Shop Around the Corner.
Chocolate chips taste better with peanut butter and graham crackers rather than M&M’s. This was a shocking discovery from someone who keeps M&M’s in business.
This white jumpsuit I bought with a friend at a thrift store makes me look like I should caddy at the Master’s even though I can’t play golf.
The daisy necklace I got off Etsy. I saw an influencer wear it, and I was indeed influenced to buy it. This was the first time I ever bought something suggested by an influencer. I get it now.
Oil paint really does take a long time to dry. Other artists weren’t lying about it as I slightly suspected.
The bunnies that quickly hop into bushes hoping you don’t notice them.
The pretzel pizza at Little Caesars. I accept no criticism from this statement.
The Hymns Live album by Shane and Shane.
Nacho Libre. I accept no criticism from this either.
Baguettes are surprisingly easy to make.
My freckles are coming back from being in the sun.
Sunset walks.
The sun.

My scattered thoughts and discoveries aside, I hope you had a blessed Easter and are enjoying the spring as much as I am. It’s the first year in a while I have had time to truly notice it. I feel so full on it. Almost as if it was mine alone. What may surprise some people is that I live a very simple life for the most part, but that’s ok. It’s part of my job to be quiet because I couldn’t hear anything important if there was too much noise in my life. And I love that about me. I love that I get to be still and listen for a whisper. So, maybe you’re like me. Maybe you spend a lot of time alone with quiet. Never let anyone make you feel less than for that. My fellow introverts will understand what I mean. When you’re around the right people you will glow, and it will be brilliant.

“Make it your goal to live a quiet life, minding your own business and working with your hands”
1 Thessalonians 4:11

Thank you all for every order, every encouraging email/comment/DM, and for making what I do possible!

With much love!!!!! Xoxo

Emily

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Fiery Furnace

Faith that goes forward triumphs.