Fear of a making mistakes on a blank page held me back for decades from discovering my love for and joy of painting with watercolor.
Today, I get excited at the possibilities of what that white sheet of paper might become.
Jake Derr, WhimZadoodlist
Surprise Artist & Self Proclaimed WhimZadoodlist
We simply never know where our life’s experiences will take us, do we? In my twenties, I was painting little characters on wooden blocks and selling them at craft shows and ‘painting’ signs for a local grocery store.
When I turned thirty, I opened a professional picture framing business and helped make a whole lot of people happy for ten years when they picked up their finished work.
In 2009, I completely switched gears and started a different business inspiring healthy living & helping folks eat veggies without tasting them. I still do this today & find so much fulfillment in it.
December 2021, in my mid-fifties, I put watercolor to paper for the first time that actually looked pretty cool. Numerous inspiring TikTok videos and tutorials later, I posted my very first WhimZadoodle on social media; a goofy owl I was inspired to paint from an image on Pinterest. And folks went a bit bonkers!
My very first - EVER - watercolor and people were offering to buy it! I could hardly believe my eyes as I read the comments!
I kept at it, upgraded my materials, playing with color & techniques as I began to discover my own style and posting images as I completed them. By the end of January 2022, I had completed about a dozen paintings, many of which were gifts. Of those I posted, folks wanting merchandise! Cards, stickers, magnets, pillows, t-shirts, books…the list goes on and on!
I was stunned, but it was obvious there was a need for the kind of joy these crazy looking curly, swirly, doodley paintings brought to folks.
So, I ordered my first cards & stickers, learned how to set up a website & made more decisions in three weeks than I probably have in a year, and WhimZadoodles was born.
Where it goes from here is anyone’s guess, but I’m excited to paint more, and am inspired to write a book or three or four, and depending on how well the cards & stickers sell, adding more variety to the merchandise. The ideas are endless!
For years, my motto has been, “everything turns out exquisitely better than could ever be planned.” I certainly never planned this, yet here it is, turning out far better than I imagined it would, and bringing a whole lotta folks joy.
And that, my friends, makes my heart grateful and happy. I hope you enjoy sharing WhimZadoodles. This world really could use a whole lot more joyful hearts.
I also hope this crazy journey inspires you do put some paint on your blank page - whatever that is - and keep at it until you discover your source of joy.
Jake Derr
