Paula Stephens spent years helping others—working as a Buddhist Chaplain, supporting military personnel with mental health challenges, and guiding women in prison. But after all that time giving, she realized she had been helping everyone else, and it was time to fill her own cup.

That’s when she decided to take a year to focus on painting, and see where she could get.

Just eight months after making her commitment, Paula had created a series of paintings, landed a spot in a Colorado gallery, and started selling.

Watch this inspiring interview to hear how she did it!

For two years, Paula dabbled in art, watching YouTube videos and exploring her creativity. She was making progress, but she longed for more. She wanted to see what she was truly capable of.

When a supervisor encouraged her to channel the emotional toll of a challenging year as a hospital chaplain during COVID into her art, it changed everything.

“My art became my place of solace. I thought, ‘I wonder what could happen if I committed to it?’”

In January 2024, Paula made a bold decision to commit to her art for a full year and see where it led her. Even though she didn’t have an art degree or formal background, she vowed to do something creative every single day. She was seeing some progress and that she had a real art ability, but she didn’t want to just dabble – she wanted to see a transformation in her art. In April, Paula began working with me, determined to push herself further.

By August, just eight months after making her commitment, Paula had created a body of work, landed a spot in a Colorado gallery, and started selling her paintings. Her confidence strengthened, and she’s now expanding into bigger paintings.

“Hands down, I have seen a huge transformation in my art. It feels amazing! And I could have just stuck to my personal commitment, working on my own, but I know I would not be where I am today.”

For Paula, committing to art back in January was scary. She didn’t have an art degree, and she didn’t identify as an artist. But she took the leap, because she felt it in her.

“It’s not just about making art or selling it—though that feels amazing—it’s about the courage it takes to make mistakes on the canvas and how that courage ripples out into other parts of life.”

It wasn’t just about painting. It was about giving herself permission to prioritize her own self-care. For years, it was hard for her to claim that time. But once she did, everything shifted.

“Compassion is incomplete without the self,” Paula reflects, quoting the Dalai Lama. “Giving yourself permission to take time for yourself—to even say to your spouse and kids, ‘I’m going to go do art for two hours’—that’s self-compassion.”

She realized that making time for her art wasn’t indulgent. It was necessary, like training for a marathon. Paula committed to her art, and her family respected that decision.

“Committing to your art feels indulgent, but that should never be a barrier. Especially for women who are so used to being caregivers, it can feel selfish. But it’s not about waiting for that to disappear; it’s about knowing it feels indulgent and doing it anyway.”

Paula wishes more women understood how transformative it is to make time for their art.

“I wish that women knew what it feels like to do their art now, they wouldn’t wait. They are just kicking the can down the road, and if they knew how good it would feel, and how it would give them so much back, they would think it would be crazy to wait”

Through her art, Paula has learned to give herself grace. She learned that the process is imperfect, and that’s okay. It’s those imperfections that often lead to something beautiful.

She had a limiting belief that if she was going to sit down and make art it had to be gallery worthy. And through working together she realized that it’s not going to be that way, it’s going to be imperfect, and that’s okay.

“I think if somebody would have said to me in January when I made this commitment, ‘You’ll be in a gallery August 1’, I would have said there’s no world in which that makes sense … And yet here I am. This was the gallery I wanted to get into.”

Paula’s story is a testament to the power of committing to your art, even when it feels scary. If you want to experience a similar transformation and see what you’re truly capable of, book a call with me today. Like Paula, you could be on the verge of unlocking your artistic potential and creating the life you’ve always wanted.

👉 Book your call here to learn more about my Art Mentoring program. Let’s see if we’re a good fit to work together on your creative journey.