Art has been a part of my life, something I delighted in, for as long as I can remember. But somewhere along the line, painting and sketching and molding clay was relegated to an occasional hobby and useful side-skill.  A few years ago, that changed, because of the way my kids love to get messy with paint, and because of grief and solitude and an amazingly encouraging man who believed those paintings were beautiful and I was more awake to beauty in the making of them.

And a huge part of me stepping into this space was the steady encouragement of a writer named Emily Freeman, who was speaking and posting and podcasting and writing emails about embracing the art you were made to make. She was writing about bravery and beloved-ness and identity and obscurity and finding your voice and being still. She even wrote about it here at Be Small Studios.

And then she took all those threads and thoughts and wrapped them into a book that released last week. She writes soulfully about uncovering the art you were made to live, and I’m celebrating with her today (a week late, but with all my heart!).  So whether you’re an artist or a meal-maker, a crafter of stories or creative time-out manager, would you take a minute to watch the trailer above and check out her book, A Million Little Ways? I have no affiliate links and I’m not part of her launch team. But she has lived these words out, and it is a joy to hold these hard-won words in my hands. I think you might love it too.

**featured image source : Emily Freeman