Let's Hang! Meet the Tribe Sister Community

Hi Megan, it's hard to pick a favorite, but I really like the mixed media bird.

Um, I made a friend when I made Agnes.

Hey Christie, Debbie Hightower here. My favorite painting from your vault from way back is Monet's Garden up here because I loved all the colors. But more recently, my favorite is Bold Blooms because I got to paint this at the retreat and it was awesome. So thanks for everything.

Hey Megan, so my favorite tutorial from the vault is the Funky Spring Flowers. It might not technically be in the vault, but I think it's part of our library. It is so packed full of fun techniques like the scribbles, the paint pens, these fun little, little blobs. Love them. The colors are so fun and funky. It's such a loose tutorial. Gets my creativity juices going. It's the reason why I joined TRIBE.

Hi, my name's Denise Yous. And I've been with Tribe Sisters since November of '22, and my favorite painting from the vault was Big Bold Blooms. I did a watercolor version and a really big version and a bunch of little versions because it was so fun to do, and it's such a beautiful painting.

Two of my favorites are the Nativity and the cute little Christmas tree. Because they made such nice little gifts or happies to give at Christmas time. My favorite painting is the Romantic Hydrangeas. It kind of surprised me that was the first one I thought of when the question was asked, but I learned so much. It really pushed me outside of my comfort zone, and I just really love how it turned out.

Bye.

Okay, this is hard, but I would have to say my favorite painting from the vault would be Funky Spring Flowers, only because that was my first painting when I joined Tribe 2 years ago. Hi, Tribe sisters!

My favorite painting from the vault is the very first one that I ever did, and it's Big Blooms. I signed up for the Facebook of the Month painting club, and this is the one that got me hooked.

I love this painting, and I paint it all the time, over and over, on everything.

I love it. Hi, I'm Lori, and my favorite BALT painting is always the last one that I did, so my favorite is Maggie.

Hey Megan, my favorite video from the vault is the lighthouses. It was so much fun, um, to teach and so much fun to see everybody's, um, paintings when they were done. Hey everybody, um, so we wanted to, um, kind of start off this, um, live stream sharing with you some of the Tribe Sisters' favorite paintings that they have had from the vault. So we asked them to send in a couple videos, and it's just fun to see what everybody is working on. So today we thought it would be fun for you to actually get to meet some of these Tribe Sisters, because you've heard me talk all week and share with you about Tribe, but I think hearing from the Tribe Sisters just speaks volumes. I love hearing their stories and what TRIBE is doing for them. So we have a few ladies to introduce you to. I'm going to start pulling them up on the screen and then we will go around and introduce and, and hopefully I can gain my voice back and hear a little bit from each one of them. So Hey Kathy and Carolyn and Gail. All right, so you will see their names in the bottom corner there. And let's see, I'm gonna unmute you guys and we'll start, um, with, uh, Denise because you're up here next to me. So welcome, um, everyone. This is Denise and Lori and Marcy and Colleen and Pauline.

Hi!

Hello, Denise.

I will start with you first. If you just want to let us know how long you have been in TRIBE and what was the deciding factor that made you want to become a TRIBE sister. All right.

I originally was in the Painting of the Month Club. I'm not sure how long I was in there. I was— I did a couple of paintings from there. And to be honest, I Some of them I just didn't really— wasn't my thing. And I thought, I'm not going to do that. And then I seen her talking about the Tribe and I thought, you know what, I'm going to give it a shot, you know, because I wanted something more. I wanted to be a part of, like she called, the community. So I started in November of last year and I just love it. I love it. It is my therapy. I have— I'm battling breast cancer right now, but when I go to paint, I just get lost in that world, and I cannot believe how good my paintings are. I mean, I'm going to brag because she's a great teacher. My paintings are good. So I just love it. And if you're not— if you're sitting on the fence, you're not sure, maybe just give it a shot. Give it a shot. I guarantee you're going to love it. And the cost, I actually was in another, um, group that I paid for, and I just took that money and put it towards this. And the other thing I wanted to say, I was really drawn to Christie's faith. That's what was the clincher for me, because I believe God sent me to her. That's just how I think it worked. So, and the women are amazing. They pray for you. They build you up. And like Christie said, there's no negativity allowed, and that, that is great because there isn't any. It's just a bunch of women loving on each other, giving each other, you know, pointers. And, um, I'm just starting to get to know everybody. There's a lot to know, and there is so, there is so much to paint. I mean, you'll— it's In a way, it's a little overwhelming because you can't choose. It's like there's just so much to do. Thank you.

Yeah, you'll get, you'll get used to it. I like— I know some people have even just started making little lists of like when they have time, what are, you know, what are some of the next paintings that they, that they want to tackle. So All right, Miss Lori, you're next on my screen, so I'll let you start.

Um, well, I started last summer in July with, um, Funky Summer Flowers because I saw the ad on Facebook and we were stuck in the house because my husband had COVID. And so, uh, I thought, well, I've got nothing else to do, I'm gonna try this, it looks like fun. And I had a blast, which really makes me sound using the word blast, but anyway, um, so I, I just really liked it. So I joined the Painting of the Month Club, and I did that for a couple of months, and then I just really wanted to do more. And I said to my husband, well, I don't have any vices. I don't gamble, I don't smoke. So, you know, let's give this a try. And, and I started off thinking, okay, well I don't know about this whole, like, committing for a year thing.

I'm gonna—

I'll start month to month, and then if I find out I don't use it, or I'm really not liking it, or I don't like it as much as I thought I would, then, you know, then I have an out. Well, now we, we keep going round and round, and I keep having this argument saying, can't I just pay for the whole year? And he's got some financial plan in his mind. And I said, but we'd save 2 months worth of stuff. And he said, well, maybe you should just look at it as, look, you are giving her 2 extra months. Okay. So I became a Tribe Sister sometime in the fall. I want to say maybe October, September, October. And I've just had a great time. Like I think a lot of the Tribe Sisters, life has happened during all this. And I've talked about this before. In January, my mom had a turn in her health, and so she's living with us now. We're still on the waiting list for the assisted living. And so it's been kind of a bumpy road and not as much time to paint as I would hope. Or like. Um, that being said, a lot of times I will just sit and watch, um, the videos, the tutorials, to pick out, okay, what's going to be my next one. So when I do have time, it's, um, then I'm ready. I know what I want to do. Um, when I don't have time or when I just I can't summon up the— I don't know what you'd call it. When I'm just kind of down about what's going on, then I—

You're all right.

I know. Then I try and battle that by going on and leaving positive comments for as many people as I can. Because that's, that's just the way the world should work.

Yeah, I love that you do that, and I know that, um, that you've had a lot of struggle, especially recently, but I love that, um, that you take the time to do that when you can. And I think it, you know, in turn helps you kind of give you something else to, to focus on.

And yeah, and, and what I'm telling people is not just a time filler for me. I— they They are comments from the heart. If I think leaves look really good, I'm going to tell you your leaves look really good. Like, that's what caught my eye. Or if it's something that I know I have struggled with, um, in my painting, then if I see how somebody has done it and they've gotten it like how in my head I see myself doing it, but when I look at the canvas it doesn't quite look that way, You know, then I'm really looking and I'm trying to learn from other people and how they've done it. So I really get a lot of inspiration and, and knowledge just from studying what other Tribe sisters have done. It's just, it's been the best $47 a month I could ever want to spend. And I'm waiting, I want to do that yearly thing.

I'm gonna break them down. Maybe, maybe on your year anniversary that it's coming around the corner, maybe he'll be like, okay, he's got, he's got a master plan. Don't all men?

Yeah.

But I will say he's very good. He is very good because he built me my little hidden door that is holding all of my paint, and it's really cool. So I, I love it.

I love it when the husbands start getting supportive. And sometimes, we were talking about this the other day, sometimes they even start watching along with it and But I think it speaks volumes because they start seeing the happiness and the joy that it brings you guys, and then they want to support you because they see the positivity that it's bringing to your life too.

And happiness. My kids got me a Michaels gift card for Mother's Day.

Awesome.

I found some clearance— what's it called again? The Enchanted Shimmer in a bunch of colors. So awesome. Myself to a bunch of colors that I probably wouldn't have I love that, I love that.

All right, Miss Marcy, you're up next.

Okay, well, I'm Marcy. I am from Missouri, and I joined, uh, Tribe in 2021, uh, with the Spring Funky Flowers. If you saw the video, that's why I joined Tribe. Um, I was just at a really low point in my life. I'm a hairstylist.

I—

going through the pandemic, it was just a lot of need activity coming at me. Um, you know, you had a shutdown, you had your clients in your chair, everybody was just pandemic-related. It was just, um, a really low time, and I just needed something for myself. And, you know, I would always just envy, like, or envy, like, people with hobbies, right? You're like, oh, that looks great. Or how do you unwind to that? You know, I see my husband, he can golf, fishes, huh? He does all these great things, you know. And I dabble in like creative things, but I just, I never had just that one thing that I could always go to to create. And I've always loved painting in the past of doing art in college and, and, uh, high school, that type of deal. But I was trained in more oils, and that wasn't something that I wanted to keep up Um, and so I just didn't know where to start. And so I kept seeing the ad for the Funky Flowers and, uh, for the spring ones, and I was just like, man, that's so cute. And every time I saw it, I was just like happy. I was like, oh, that looks cute, I want to paint that. And then I was just like, I'm a very online suspicious type of person, so I had to Google, yeah, figure out, is this like a scam?

Am I legit?

Right, you know, I was like, and then You know, I was like, we're kindred spirits because we're from Missouri. So I was like, yes, I'll do this. Fine. And so then here comes, you know, okay, this is part of a tribe. You know, let's think about this. Do I want to join? And there was a lot of hesitations to that. You know, it's just like the commitment, the monthly commitment, or am I worth that, you know, spending that kind of money? And it's not like I was like poor by any means, but you know, I don't know, I think as women we just weirdly want to deny ourselves things.

I don't know.

But I also weirdly spend a lot of money on stuff that doesn't bring me such fulfillment and joy that this tribe has brought for me. And so for me, I'm just like so thankful that I stumbled across this and I, uh, saw my self-worth for this, and, um, I just haven't looked back, and I just keep renewing.

I love it, and I love your story, not because of like that it was hard in the beginning, but that you were willing to kind of, you know, take that leap and that risk. And, um, you know, Marcy is naturally an introvert, so this— if there are any introverts out there and you're like, I don't know, this sounds very people-y in here, and like a lot of women and relationships and stuff. But for her to come in like that and, and see the joy that it has brought her, even as an introvert. And then she came to the live event here in Missouri last year, and we got to meet. And so I think that just made it that much better, you know, to get to, to get to meet people in person too. But Marcy has just done— I'm just gonna brag on you for just a little bit because Marcy has just done amazing work, um, inside of TRIBE since she's been a TRIBE sister. And, um, I love that, you know, she usually puts her own spin on all of the paintings, so it's always fun to see. Like, it's one of my favorite things as an artist is to watch other artists take my idea and make it their own. It's just a really cool thing to watch. So I always think of you when I think about, you know, people in the group that do that. So thank you. We're glad you're here. And Miss Colleen, you are up next. It's nice to meet you.

Nice to meet all of you too. Thank you for inviting me.

Yeah.

So how long have you been a tribe member and Only since February. All right, so you're a newbie.

I am a newbie. I'm a newbie to all of this. Um, I've always been a crafter, um, but never a painter. But, um, this wonderful woman showed up in my Facebook feed and I was like, hmm. And I was house-sitting down in Las Vegas and it was not warm in February. And I was like, what am I going to do? And I said, well, there's a Hobby Lobby here, I'll just go and check it out. And so I watched some of your stuff online and everything, and then I said, okay, go now. And so I ran to Hobby Lobby, and again I was on an airplane going to fly home in March, and I'm like, okay, you need to push back a little bit. But I filled up the shopping cart with paint and brushes and canvases and everything, and I started with the Bold Blooms. And so where I love many, many, many of your stuff, I just have to stick with Bold Blooms as my favorite because that's where I started. And I was sure, I was like, oh no, not gonna be able to do this, there's just no way. Well, I think I've done it 10 times now at least, and, um, I can't stop. That's my problem.

I can't stop.

My husband really wishes I would vacuum the carpet, you know, or wash the dishes, do something, but I just keep painting. And I have to tell you that my mom was a big artisan, and, um, I lost my mom in November after being her caregiver for a year. Um, the last 2 years of, like Marcy said, have not been fun. Uh, COVID, lost both my parents, lost my best friend, none of them to COVID. And finding Christie has been my savior, and not only has it let me open up and find that other crafting part of myself, um, being able to paint— not an expert yet, but I know she'll get me there— but I think that it's finding my way back to God. And so I thank you so much for that. It's really been difficult 2 years, but sitting in my art studio until 1 AM last night painting my second dragonfly, because I just have to do 2, um, was, you know, what I— it's what I find myself doing. My husband goes to bed very early, um, 8 o'clock sometimes, because he gets up at 4:30 to go to work. So that leaves me in a quiet house. I don't turn the TV on because it's too loud, so I just retreat to the back of the house and I stay there until I can't hold my eyes open. And So finding you has been my savior. It's put joy back in my soul. My friends want me to do other things, but I'm like, oh no, I have to paint. And so I now have started telling my friends, want to learn? Come on, I can show you how to do this. It's really simple. I've learned so many great techniques. Come on, let's do it. I haven't had one take me up yet, but I just started that in the last couple weeks. And so I'm hoping that, um, soon one of my friends will say, okay, let's do it. So again, I can't thank you enough for putting joy back into my soul, for helping me find my way back to God, and just the amazing women that are in this group. I have seen so much positivity and Don't we all need that in our lives these days? So thank you so much.

Thank you so much for, um, sharing. I'm trying to not just completely lose it.

Sorry.

No, no, thank you very much for sharing and being so vulnerable, but I think it just, um Sorry, just give me a minute. Um, you know, when I first started Tribe, it was, um, in my head it was just another, um, another way for me to teach. It was because I used to do paint nights, um, and then I got tired of missing all of my girls' activities and, um just being gone at night, you know. I'd have to load up at— start at 4:30, load my car up, drag everything to a restaurant, set up for the paint night, not get home till 9:30 or 10 or later sometimes, and miss tucking Sophie into bed. And I just started resenting it, you know. Um, and so that was initially what made me move my business online. Um, so in my head when we started, um, for people who have— there's handful of members who have been with me since the beginning for 5 years, which is just crazy. It's still crazy for me to think that it's been 5 years since we started this. But all it was in the beginning was painting. And then about a year in, it just hit me, you know, and I have my friend Casey Hope, who's a strong Christian as well. And I loved the way that she made her faith part of her business. And I was just like, I just really feel like that's what God is calling me to do, um, that it's not just about painting, but it's, it's about, um, it's about honoring him and, um, the gift that he has given me, that this is the, this is the talent that he gave me, and we're supposed to serve him best with the talents that he gave us. And I just kept feeling him nudge me in that direction to, um, to be bold enough that I was willing to share my faith online and take the criticism that comes along with that. Because, you know, there are a lot of nasty, uh, comments that come from out there, especially when you do speak out about your faith. Um, and I've been told by multiple people to stop shoving it down their throat, or you don't need to talk about Jesus while you're painting. And I mean, I can go on and on with the comments that have been said to me over the years, and I mean, even some just last week. And of course it gets to me because I'm a human, right, and I have feelings. But, um, it's not for everyone, and that's fine. But I'm going to, um, do my job and do what he's called me to do, and that is sharing him. And, um, I believe that him making us creative is a gift from him. And, um, you know, I, I feel like, um I want to honor him in my business because I wouldn't be here without him. This is all bigger than anything I ever thought possible, um, in my life. I just wanted to teach people how to paint because I love to paint, um, and all I wanted to do was be an artist. But he saw a much bigger plan, and I love it. And ever since I made that commitment, um, to share my faith I think it totally changed the dynamic of our group. And it is, um, I mean, we're doing exactly what he told us to do, and that is to love. You know, that was, that was the last commandment he left us, was to love one another. And my hope is that through this group, um, whether it not be through my devotionals or just through, you know, things I say or while we're painting I just want to, to bring joy and happiness to the world and to shine his light because there's so much darkness and, um, struggle that people are dealing with, um, all the time. And, um, myself included. And I'm very open about that too, you know. Um, I think everyone should be a little bit more open about, um, you know, mental, um, issues that we deal with— depression, anxiety. It is affecting millions and millions of people all over the world. And a lot of times people just want to shush it and not talk about it because it's embarrassing or it's uncomfortable. But the reality is we're all struggling with it. And I know the peace that painting can bring. I know the peace and comfort that a community can bring. And after we've all been through COVID and the pandemic and being isolated and alone for so long, this was our way to really stay connected and to not feel alone. And I think that's still what it is. I mean, going through all the struggles, I think, made us stronger as a group. And I just think it's— I just wanted to share that because it turned into a beautiful thing that was not in my original plan when I started tribe, and, um, it's become very much a part of it. And I just love our community, um, so much. And you guys know I'm very protective of it too, which is why we say there is no negativity in there. Um, and if we ever see any kind of issues, those are quickly removed so that it doesn't— so that it doesn't disrupt, um, what we have going on. So anyways, thank you for sharing that. And Miss Pauline, last but not least, let me— Miss Pauline is our mascot of TRIBE.

Oh, hello everyone. Wow, where to begin? First, I want to say thank you to the other ladies here for your testimony regarding TRIBE and Christie. As many of us know, I personally feel that I was directed into Christie's life and the inner tribe as well. COVID hit, like we all experienced, and my husband and I were blessed many years having a summer place for 30 years, and we had sold our place in 2020, and I had started with Christie Renee Hawkins through an offer she had for a Valentine's gnome, and I thought it was the cutest little thing. I thought, oh my God, I'm going to try that. And I fell in love with that. And, you know, it was a free little thing, and I thought, why not? I had some stuff around the house, and so I did that. And then I'm not quite sure when you started Painting of the Month Club, but I I knew that I wanted to join, but I was having issues financially as to whether or not I could manage the monthly charge. So I hemmed and hawed, and, you know, Christie had a timeline for us to join. So I gave it a lot of thought, talked to my husband, and yeah, he was on board with me. And so I found a way, cutting out a lot of other things that weren't necessary in the budget, and I joined TRIBE. It's the best gift I ever gave myself, and the things that I had prior to that, I don't even miss. This I would miss if I wasn't part of TRIBE. It is, uh, is something I'm always checking daily, and it's, it's life-altering for me. In many ways. Um, wow, where to begin? TRIBE has been a humongous blessing in many ways. I don't want to cry, but Christie's always talking about remaining positive, and for the most part in my life, I'm a pretty positive type person, optimistic. I remember years ago I would be called a Pollyanna, you know, because I would try to look at the brighter side of things in life to get me through some hard stuff. When I joined TRIBE, you know, at first I wasn't sure about how confident I was. I really wasn't. I'd see other people's paintings and like, oh God, I don't know if I could do that, because in the privacy of your own world, you know, you get into that those negative thoughts. And you were like, you know, wondering if you can do as well. And so with time, you know, Christie kept commenting about not comparing yourself with other people. You know, do you, you know, be— do your own creativity. And I found that so encouraging because with time and all the different paintings, I got a little braver. And I'm not short on words, as you've noticed in many of my posts to you all. And I'm that way in life. But when it came to painting, I was painting a lot there for the first year or so. One year, I just got on this snowman kick. And I don't know, I must have painted around 30, 35 different snowmen. How many ways can you paint a snowman? And I found a way. And thanks to Christie's teachings, it helped me to get out of my head and just go for it. I had a blast and I surprised so many people with those original paintings that I did that Christmas. They were all blown away. And from that, it allowed me to get into small paint parties. Just a lot of things have evolved for me. In regards to the painting. The other big thing that was huge for me, and it was, I lost a lot of loved ones in the last few years. One night we were, I was doing a painting from the Funky Fall Flowers. I got news my, one of my brothers died, and I just stopped. I couldn't paint. I didn't paint that painting for 2 years, and then Christie offered it again, and I thought, because it always had a negative feeling for me, and, uh, I thought, damn, I gotta get through this. So I just had the black canvas and just the vase done. And I switched my brain and started thinking positive and decided I was going to finish this painting after 2 years in honor of my brother. And I'm just going to show you really quick because I'm so proud of it. And this is probably one of my favorite paintings. And, uh, and so for me, um, yeah, that lifted me up. And I've had more losses. I lost another brother friends, family, you know, it's, it's life. And I'm at that stage of life that I, you know, I'm older, I'm 79. Um, but anyways, that's the painting part of it. But Tribe on a spiritual level, and with Christie's devotionals, have lifted me up in more ways than you could even imagine. I've always had a pretty strong faith in God and always believe in the power of prayers. And, uh, I even have a prayer chain, you know, people would make requests of me, can you put this in your prayer chain? So having met Christie online, uh, and blessed by meeting her and her lovely family in person last year in Missouri, and so many of tribe sisters. It was overwhelmingly beautiful. And, uh, yeah, tribe on a spiritual level has lifted me up in so many ways so often. Many of you have no idea how important you all are. And, uh, recently I've had, uh, some big health issues to deal with. But even then, when I was in the hospital recently and still not finished with treatment, uh, I was in the hospital bragging about painting and Christie and the tribe and thinking, um, when you're in pain, you know, the first thing, you're grouchy and you just want to complain all the time. I didn't. I chose the path of positivity by listening to others, observing the other medical people, how they treated other people and not just myself. And it was an interesting experience because I had a lot of blessings along the way while I was in the hospital. And when nurses are busy working 12-hour shifts and when they have a few minutes and they're not taking care of you that day and they they come in just to say hello to you, how are you doing today? I mean, those little things were huge to me. And there were so many, many other incidences. I had to have a procedure done and it was extremely painful. And this nurse, I'm laying there, I wasn't able to move and I had tears. She just got up, went and got tissues, came by my bedside while the surgeon is working, and I had to be somewhat awake for it. And she just started dabbing my tears. Well, I'll tell you what, ladies, that's beyond compassion and her nursing position. She was being human and kind to do something that was huge to me, maybe simple to her. In life, you learn it doesn't take much to be kind. A kind word. And that's what I love about TRIBE and what Christie is always encouraging everybody is to be positive, not just towards others, but towards yourself. It's so huge. It's so important because— and especially females. I don't know why we go there in our brains. We are so hard on ourselves. We are so negative. We just— seem to find fault with every little thing. We're not a good mother, we're not a good cook, we're not this, we're not that. It's tiring. And I'll tell you what, it took me till I got to my 40s when I said, you know what, I gotta change something. And I just started living my life. And, um, my husband's an introvert and I'm definitely an extrovert in every way. Not bashful, as you can tell, but TRIBE. If there's some new people listening right now, you have no idea the blessings that will come to you through TRIBE. And with Christie being our teacher, she's more than a teacher. She's a friend. She's caring. She really does truly care about her people in her group. And she could talk to everybody individually. I know she would. And, uh, Just don't give up on yourself. You enjoy painting, find a way to pay the monthly charge. Or if, like Lori, her husband allows her to do the 1-year plan, you know, that'd be great. But it's— you get so much more than painting. You get so much more from the tribe in a sense. You get to the point where I am confident I'll never be an expert to be like Van Gogh or whatever, but that's okay. I'm doing me. Christie's taught me that, not to be afraid to scribble. Oh my God, I remember painting, and I'm like, ah, there was no way I'm going to scribble this. It looked nice the way I liked it and everything. And I thought, okay, I did another one. And guess what? I scribbled all over that dang painting, and then I made another one, and I got that into an art gallery, and it sold.

So awesome. I just love— I mean, I love it.

Yeah, so I'm just saying, you know, get— be creative, take chances with yourself. Don't be afraid. It's okay.

It's—

there's no right or wrong to it. Just You know, if your strokes aren't the way Christie does it, like she tells us, it's okay. There's, there's no right or wrong. Just, just relax. Build that confidence in yourself, and before you know it, you're going to be so proud. You want to share your paintings with others. You'll be giving them as gifts. Man, the first time I put something on my own private Facebook page and somebody contacted me and wanted to buy it. I was dumbfounded. I was like, really? I'm like, okay, now how much do I charge? You know, so you do, you just do it. It's, um, wow, it's amazing. And the accolades you get in return is bringing joy to others. You're not only having joy for yourself because you're enjoying something, it's the great escape, it's a stress reliever 100 times Yeah, and don't worry if you don't have all the right stuff like Christie says. Don't worry if you don't have the right brush. Don't worry, you know, if you don't have the right size canvas and all that. I used to be like in the beginning with Christie, oh, running to Hobby Lobby or Michaels because I didn't have that size, or I didn't have that brush, or whatever. And now I just kind of been cool. If I don't have that canvas, I'll find something else. And I started trying metal, painting on metal, painting on glass, painting on paper bags that you can use as a gift bag. I mean, there's so many avenues you can take in the Tribe. Just go for it all. And I could talk for another hour, but I'm going to close now and just say I love you all. I love Tribe. It's the most uplifting, positive group I ever belonged to, and I've been in quite a few. And I give all that credit to Christie as our leader, our teacher, our spiritual guide to keep encouraging us to just love life. And as she says, you know, just put God first and know that you're pleasing him. And in pleasing him, You'll get blessed by all of that. And it just, it just continues, right? It's like a trickle effect. It'll start with you. Well, it starts with Christie Renee Hawkins, the guy upstairs, and Christie. But then it trickles down. And through that, I have made many friends. I've had people contacting me to friend me on my own personal page. And it's just grows from there. So ladies, if you're new, you've come to the best group online. And for those of us that have been with you, Christie Renee Hawkins, and are still with you, I know we are all grateful for you and we only want the best for you and your personal life and your endeavors. I know we are all happy for you personally and so grateful to you for all you do for all of us. And ladies, when she talks about how she offers 3 paintings a month. Um, she does a lot more than that, so don't let her fool you. Thank you for everything. I love you beyond. So, so grateful for you.

Um, so, I mean, I'm always, always wonder with these. I'm like, we end up crying the majority of the time we do these interviews, but I think it's, um, they're good tears too, right? Like, I think good for us to be able to relate to each other and know that, like, we all have our different struggles that we're dealing with, but everyone has their things, right? But like, that you can come together through a shared interest and find that, that community and that support. And I think that's what I'm most proud of when I think about Tribe. And I just love how You know, God has interweaved my, my love for art and sharing it with others and, um, just seeing the ripple effect of what happens. And, you know, I think for a lot of you here too, we were talking about it being a stress reliever, but like, I think it even goes beyond that. Like, when you choose to take the time, kind of like Marcy said, as women we feel guilty for doing something for ourselves. But I think what we don't realize is like we have to fill ourselves back up in order to be able to give to those around us. So if you are never filling yourself up and if you're never doing something that brings you joy, um, how are you gonna share joy with others around you? And I mean, I know Personally, for me, and from other stories that I've heard from you guys, I know like when you're having a hard day and you give yourself that time to go paint and just escape for a little bit, you come back refreshed. And then those things that may have been weighing on you before painting have dissipated in that process, right? And then you're able to go back to your family or your friends and your life, and you feel a little lighter, um, you know, and I think it's just a, um, it's a beautiful way for us to connect with God, um, and just embrace the creativity that he has given each and every one of us. Even if you're out there listening and you're thinking no, um, from the 5 of you that are here right now, how many of you felt like you were a confident painter before you joined TRIBE? Yeah, Marcy. Yeah, Marcy had a little, a little background. I'm going to unmute you you guys too, so you can, um, join in if you want. But, um, so I think about that, you know, a lot for the ladies that are watching, and maybe they've been hanging out with us this week and they're just not sure, um, if they should do it. And I think they're probably feeling very similar to how you guys felt before you joined, and, you know, can I even do this? I don't even have the confidence. Like, look at hers, It's so pretty. So can you guys speak to that? Like in the— some of you have been only in here for a short amount of time, a few months, and some obviously for over a year or more. But speak to how much like it has helped with your confidence and how I think not even just from the lessons, but also someone mentioned it, but just even being in a inspired by the other tribe sisters in the group too.

I would like to kind of say for that, I do find, um, you know, I do get some attention on my artwork. It fills me with tons of joy. It does boost my confidence. But, you know, just having your guidance, um, in the amount of painting I've done is ridiculous. So it is just, uh, seeing that just grow. And as I'm watching my work grow, the confidence of like, yeah, I'm gonna do the Lily and Bee, but I am not gonna do those colors, you know. I gotta push myself. I'm gonna use orange because that's a really hard color to use. I don't know how many times I repainted that orange color, fussing around with it to try to get it just right. And, um, once I put some teal on it, I was like, oh, isn't that just so pretty? Uh, you know, so it's Even with my experience at this point and for how long I've been doing it and how much I have submersed myself in it, it's still a giant struggle. It's still, uh, working through the trials and the hard times of all of it. It's not like this unicorn, it just appears, you know. It goes through those ugly stages. They get really ugly. And, um, you know, just persevering through all that and and, uh, just always you're at the back of my mind all the time of how you just coach us to stick with it. You know, all the final touches are going to come at the end, and, you know, it just really has been a great journey. And, you know, thank you so much for putting yourself out there. Um, I hate to see you hurt by the nasty trolls out there. Yeah, thank you for keeping this place a positive place It is something that has brought me confidence that I can go to and I'm not going to see all the stuff that just pelts you, especially on the social media platforms. So thank you so much for all that, Christie. Yeah, um, but I'm actually gonna have to bail.

Thank you for jumping on before you had to go to work today.

And, uh, You know, I just appreciate what you're doing. And like, um, you mentioned I am an introvert. This is a lot for me even right now. Uh, I just— I'm super nervous.

And so I'm so proud of you.

Yeah.

Yeah.

But you know, it's worth praising about. It's worth coming up here and saying you got it. You got a good thing, girl.

Yeah.

Thank you for being here. Bye. Um, you know, and something— I'm glad Marcy brought that up too, because, because we're talking about confidence and, and how it built her confidence. But it is— and this is for every artist, and I just, I want to say this for anybody watching— I think sometimes, um, there's a perceived, uh, thought that artists can just make magic all the time, and like everything we decide to paint just works out exactly how we saw it in our head. And that's not true. It doesn't matter how many years you've been an artist, like, that's just not true. Artists always will, um, struggle. And there is like that messy middle, that in-between of a painting sometimes, where you get and you're like, oh my gosh, like— and maybe you need to walk away, that's fine. But, um, for me, that mostly comes because I'm doing originals, right? Like, so I have an idea in my head of what I want it to turn out like. And it's hard when you're in that middle part to like be like, okay, you know, you just have to keep going. Because I always say like a painting really comes together in like the last 10 or 15 minutes. It's always those like finishing touches that, that make something complete. So the reason I say that is if you are starting to paint and maybe you've been painting with me this week and done, you know, one or all three of those paintings, and maybe you struggled in some of those areas. I don't want you to let that struggle make you think, oh, I was right, I can't do it. It's the opposite of that. Like, you can, you just have to kind of push through those like uncomfortable moments when you are creating. And that's why you hear me say, trust me, trust the process, like just keep going, um, because it will get better. So, um, if that was you this week, I just want to give you word of comfort there. Yeah, Lori, go ahead.

Well, you know, so when we started, when I started back in the summer and then back in the fall, you know, I remember thinking to myself, I can't find mermaid tail, what am I gonna do? I, I can't find it. Oh my gosh, how much can I go to to find mermaid tail? But what I have realized about myself in the last months is, you know, you just kept saying, just find just find something close. Well, at first I was like, oh, how do I know what's close? Well, I've realized now I'm like, yeah, okay, I know mermaid tail is a whatever. I don't have that, so I'm gonna just— yeah, yeah, that looks pretty good. No, close enough. And so I'm, I'm gaining that confidence in, in baby steps. Um, you know, you always said it'll be okay if you have some— you know, it doesn't have to be the exact. And, and I have finally realized that, and, and I can do that. And then last night I decided I'm just going to try painting along with the dragonfly. I, I kind of—

okay, I—

because I hadn't gone to the store, I hadn't gotten, you know, I hadn't really even looked at the colors. I kind of looked and picked out some stuff that I thought would work okay, and And then I kind of sat and painted it. I don't normally paint along with you. Usually I watch a few times because I have better success in my own head when I do that. But last night I thought, I'm just gonna try this. And by the time I finished last night, I was like, ooh wee, this is ugly. But I did what you always said, and I walked away. And I came back to it this morning and thought, Okay, it's not as bad as I thought last night. It just needs the white Posca pen, and I think it can be rescued. I did the same thing with the, um, the flowers for Monday, and it was those last few minutes, put it together, it got it past its— I call it the ugly middle school phase.

Yeah.

So I've learned more to trust myself in the middle of the process not to just think to myself, I should just chuck this, right? Like, hang on there, trust the process like you say, and it's, it's going to be okay. Now, is everything I do going to look like amazing? No. But when I finish, I usually think, you know what, I'm really pleased that I, I did that. I created that. I think it looks pretty good, and I'm proud of myself for doing that. And I stuck with it. And I kept at it and I listened and I learned. And, you know, then I'll show my cheerleaders and people are truly like, wow. Like, my husband will be like, wow. I mean, we're talking, I was a kindergarten teacher and I'm teaching stick figures, you know, because I couldn't It's like, where was this hiding in me all this time, right? Well, I think it was hiding. It was hiding. It was waiting for the right person to help bring it out, and that's you.

Well, I'm so happy to see it too. Yes, go ahead, Denise.

I, I just wanted to say something. Um, I was the same way with the colors in the beginning. I had to go everywhere to get the right color. And then I started mixing colors like Christie Renee Hawkins was saying, just start playing with the colors. And that's one of my best things, my favorite things to do now. I love mixing the colors, seeing what you get, and just using that, you know, don't have to go here, there, everywhere. And that was a big learning thing for me. I had, I had color theory when I did hair. I used to color hair and we had a little bit of it. But now we have— I have all these color wheels and everything, and, and I'm just amazed at some of the colors you get from just mixing the colors. So that's pretty cool.

It is, and it's so fun. I think color mixing— I mean, I just, I could literally just spend all day color mixing, just making new colors. Yeah, go ahead, Pauline.

I wanted to just mention, when you talk about building up confidence, One of the things that's helped me, uh, were the challenges that you started having in class in, uh, using, you know, paintings from the vault. Um, it helped me to get out of this position of feeling like I have to copy what you are doing, and I thought, okay, I can't remember which one we did the first— I can't remember the first one, but I kind of liked one, uh, when you were celebrating your third year, and I ended up going in and created a birthday thing with all the little animals you had done. I was always afraid of doing the animals because initially, you know, I was new in the tribe, and I thought, oh God, that looks complicated. I don't think I can do that. Well, as crazy as it is, I made that painting with the cow, with the sheep, with the bunnies, with the colorful birds in the tree, and I made a happy birthday painting for you in our tribe. And I actually was surprised at myself that instead of doing a bigger painting of each animal, no, I went mini, mini, mini paintings of each animal, which was actually a little harder Right.

Yeah. It's hard to get that detail in there.

Yeah.

But you know what?

It—

I was so excited about it and so excited to share that I did it and it did build my confidence a lot. And then you get into another challenge. I love challenges because—

We have a new one getting ready to start. Yes.

And it's exciting and just go for it, you know, like we just did the birthday cake thing. My gosh, the creativity that people had in our group for those birthday cakes. It was amazing.

It really was.

Yes.

Yeah.

So like the amount of creativity that— and I loved it because it really pushed everyone out of their comfort zone. And yes, it forced you to like think and you're like, well, how can I incorporate that painting and turn it into a cake, or, you know, I mean, and it was just so fun.

Yes.

Sketches and different takes on it. It was so hard to choose only 5 people as the winner for that too.

And the nice thing is everybody that did that challenge and what they did is they shared it. I want to encourage people, more people in our group to share their paintings. Don't worry about it not being like Christie's or somebody else. Believe me, it's very helpful for those of us that have been with her for a little longer, um, and it's also helpful in knowing that, wow, that is a great idea, I would never have thought of this, because somebody might do something a little unique and different, and it's exciting, it gives us more ideas, and we can grow from that. So please share with us. I mean, I personally, I know we're I know all the Tribe sisters would enjoy that. You know, keep the comparisons out of your brain because that's not helpful. Just look at it that, oh my gosh, somebody gave you another idea of trying to do something different. So, yeah, there's just, yeah, lots of confidence in the group and it's nice when people can share that with us. I know I would appreciate more sharing. I do love all the positive comments that people are putting to help others to continue on their path of painting with you. Um, that's what helped me initially as well. And you get away from the shyness because not everybody is comfortable in sharing. I, I've seen a couple posts where people say, well, okay, this is my first one to share with you, and they've probably been with you for a year, who knows. But it's like, yeah, that's important. Do that for yourself. It's, it's great. We have a positive group there.

You get so much more out of it when you, when you do share.

Um, yes.

And it allows you to start building the relationships with the other ladies too.

Yes.

That's the community part that I think is so important. That, I mean, I know there are, you know, I call them wallflowers, and don't take offense to it. Like, there are just— well, it's fine. It is what it is. Um, But the reason I say that is because I do. I really encourage you, even if it's scary, have someone else do it. Have them hit the post button. Let them post it for you. Rip the Band-Aid off. Because once you do that, I feel like your entire experience inside TRIBE will change as well. Yes, go ahead.

Yeah, I just want to let people know that maybe watching to Step outside that box. You have to step outside the box. Trust the process to find the joy in it. And is it always going to be perfect? No. Are you always gonna love it? No. But if you just keep doing it, you will find the joy in and it will give you whatever it was that you were seeking, whether it's learning how to paint, whether it's talking to God, whatever it is that you need from this. If you trust the process and enjoy the journey, you will find every penny of that $470 that you spend a year within this tribe, whether it's with a brush in your hand or just talking to all of the women and getting all the encouragement. So don't sit back. Figure out how you can do it. I'm retired, live on a retired income, and I figured it out. What did I do? I stopped going to Starbucks. Yeah, I got a coffee machine in my kitchen. Yeah, figure out what it is that you can do that will allow you to join this tribe and forget that you're nervous as heck, because Christie and this tribe will get you over that. Just do it. It's the greatest thing ever. And trust me, again, I need to stop painting, but I'm not gonna. I got flowers and garden and all that stuff, but I allot time every day to put a brush in my hand.

That's good.

Yeah, so that I can enjoy it. And that's all because I found the tribe, so Step outside the box and join the tribe, and you will find what you're looking for.

Thank you guys so much for sharing. Um, one last question before, um, we get off, because I'm actually getting ready to go into tribe. Uh, I teach at 1:30, so I'm gonna have to go upstairs and get my, uh, get my studio ready to teach you guys the quick win today. But, um, that's so, uh, I wanted— speaking of time, um, I know for a lot of women they, they hear all the things and kind of like to your point, Denise, like it can feel overwhelming at first. And we do everything we can as a, as a team to, you know, we created the welcome guide, we're mailing those out to new members. And you can download them to kind of walk you through where everything is. But I know a lot of questions came up this week during our paint classes of women saying, well, but how much time do I have to commit to it? And I'm really busy. But like, how many of us are not? But like, we're all busy, right? Like, we all have— life is crazy. Like, so we're all busy. And I think for a lot of women, that's the thing that's holding them back. I think they hear us talk about all the things, and it's like, oh well, that's just too much. I'll never have time to do all of that. So What would you say to women who are feeling that way? And like, how much time— I know it's different for everyone, but, um, I know Colleen, you just said you make a point to do it every day, which I think is amazing. Um, but I know that for reality, like, that won't be reality for a lot of people. But, um, um, what, what do you guys have to, to say about the time, um, that you're able to do it? I'll start with you at the top, Denise, if you have anything to share?

Um, I mean, I— well, with me, it's— I'm on disability, um, but I still work. I still have to work part-time. Um, but whenever I'm free, whenever I have free time, I don't sit in front of the TV. That doesn't interest me. All I want to do is paint. That's all I want to do. That is what makes me happy. And my husband knows that. He'll be watching TV.

Where are you?

Oh, you're out painting. So, but, um, Whatever little, whatever little piece of the time I can get, then I'm painting. Um, and is it every day? No, it's not every day because like I go, I have to get treatments and everything. But I took my sketch pad, my media pad, and I was drawing while I was getting an infusion. So I used that time to do it and it made the time go so fast. It was like easy peasy, like, whoo, that went so fast. And um, so I'm doing that from now on. Um, so wherever you can find time, and if it's what you really want to do, you'll do it. You'll find the time to do it. And like I said, it isn't every day, but then I miss it if I can't do it every day. But I think about it all the time.

It's like always in my mind.

But yeah, and like, um, you said, life happens, you know, it happens, but you need to have something for yourself like Christie said, you got to fill yourself back up so you can do what you do for others. And I think sometimes that's why we feel guilty, because, oh well, I can't do that for myself, you know, I gotta be doing for others all the time. No, no, no, no, you have to fill yourself back up, um, to be able to serve others. And, and God wouldn't want us to just— you know, he wants us to be happy, he wants us to have joy, and this is what brings me joy.

Yeah, I love that.

I tell Corey all the time too. Corey's my husband, for those of you that don't know me. But we're both very ambitious, extroverted, busy human beings. And I think we have a lot of projects going on all of the time. And we have to remind ourselves of that. Like, I was telling him last week, week. I was like, I'm getting better at it, but he is still struggling with his, you know, ongoing to-do list and feeling like he's always got to be working when he's not working, always working on something else. And I'm like, babe, I'm like, God meant for our lives to be more than one big to-do list. That is not why we're here.

Yeah.

And right now we're at a point, you know, we have an almost 20-year-old, a 16-year-old, and a 12-year-old. And I said, that is all going to— it already is. Like, the last year just flew by like that. This is their last day of school this year. Kylie's already finished her freshman year at college. I'm like, how are, how are we here already? So, like, it's important to slow down and do something that you love. And, or for us, you know, find the things that we love and do them. We go camping all the time. We like to travel, but we want all that, you know, that family time too. And, and just trying to be careful, like, in our day today, that we don't let the Monday through Friday just be a continual to-do list, but we're remembering to stop and, uh, actually, you know, live a joyful life too.

So fill yourself back up. Yeah.

Yeah.

Um, Lori or Pauline, did you have anything to add to the time? I know Lori, you had, um, mentioned that you haven't had as much time lately, but I know I think, I guess what my, my question would be is sometimes women equate the amount of paintings they can get done in a month or the amount of hours they can commit to a month, whether that would be worth the, um, the membership. And I know that you still, um, even when you can't paint, that you're still like thankful for the group and what it can give to you. I just thought I'd ask you a little bit about your opinions on the timing.

You know, I mean, when you think about it, it's like anything. Like if you like to read, some weeks you've got more time to read, some weeks you don't. Um, you know, I mean, and I like to read because I said when God was handing out the artistic talent, I was at the end of the line reading a book. But, um, you know what, I try and come down here when I can. When I can't, like Denise said, I'm thinking about it all the time. So there's even that. Or I'm, like I said before, I'm, I'm watching a tutorial so that I can know what I'm going to do. You know, I, I think that one next, or I think I want to do that one next. Um, sometimes I can get down here a lot, sometimes I can't. So I'm just grateful for the time that I can get down here, and then, um, when I can't, I'm grateful that the videos are available The replays are available, and I can't stress that enough because, you know, your, your schedule is such that you, you're doing this most of the time when your kids are in school, and I totally get that. That's exactly what I would be doing. But what that means is for anybody who, who works, that might not work for their schedule. But those replays, I mean, they're 24/7. So, you know, I can, I can watch them during the day. I can even eating lunch. I can, you know, turn it on at night instead of HGTV or—

yeah, exactly.

Yes, yes, you can even put it on the TV and then it's like you're watching.

Yeah, but you know, when I can come down, you know, it's hard when if you only have 20 minutes, it— you can't really get set up and going. So that's, that's probably for me the the biggest roadblock sometimes is I want to make sure I have a chunk of time. But, you know, I make it work when I can because it's important to me. And, and yes, you know, when my mom's sitting upstairs, I'll say, I have a paint class, go, you go and you enjoy that. So because I get a little caught up in, you know, do I need I need to take care of her. I don't want to leave her sitting by herself. But, you know, but at the same time, she, she's a mom. So what does she want? She wants me to be happy.

Yeah.

Right. And so I'll say, okay, you know, today I said I've got to paint things and okay, you go, go have fun. So that's good. It's a really long answer to I make the time when I can. And sometimes it looks like having a paintbrush in my hand and sometimes it doesn't. Sometimes it's, it's painting, sometimes it's listening, sometimes it's commenting, but it's all part of the package.

Yes.

I watch the videos. I'm obsessed. The whole package thing, right? Like, it's not— I try to explain that, but I feel like it's hard to— it's not just about painting. It's about painting. It's not really just about painting.

Right.

Right.

And I can't— I mean, I can't stress enough, you kept calling it earlier when you were talking, the group, the group, group.

Group.

And then I was thinking to myself, but it's not a group, it's a community.

Yes.

And then you use the word community. I was like, oh, yay, good. Because it, it is more than a group, it is a community. And, and I mean, I've never met Pauline, but I consider her a friend because she always says the greatest thing. Yeah, I joined right just before your live event. And I think I remember reading there's 5 spots left, and I kind of thought about going, but I was literally brand new, and I thought, well, I can't do this. And now I am kicking myself that I could have met Pauline in person.

Oh, I love you. I have to share something, um, when you talk about time. Um, when I first started, I don't know what it is, but I'm a night owl. And, you know, because during the day you've got housework, shopping, kids, you know, bringing them to softball games or whatever. So for all of you that are younger than I am, um, you know, your lives are really full. And mine was just kind of like the opposite now because we stopped traveling, etc. So I had a lot of time. But I wasn't making good use of my time. And so when it came to painting, yeah, I really got into it. And then it was like I loved it and I couldn't get enough of it. And, you know, the husband, I'd wave to him and he goes, oh, you're going— the first time you said, he goes, you're going in your art studio now? And I'm like, yeah, I'm going in the sunroom because that's where I'm set up, in our sunroom. And he's like, that it's your art studio now. And I'm like, okay. But now I call it my art studio. It's like my own personal place and I love it. And when it comes to how much time you give to yourself, because it really is about giving yourself that gift, right? We can go for an hour massage or have our nails done and it all feels good. Go for, you know, yoga classes, nothing wrong with any of that stuff. Stuff. But if you're home and you feel like you're bored and don't have anything to do, this is such a huge thing to get involved with. I found a way to paint more by thinking of others. And I started doing that. I'm like, oh, I think I'm going to do this for so-and-so or this friend or a family member. I posted something on my page and they're like, oh, I really love that. And, you know, Even flowers, I'd post flowers and somebody commented on my bleeding hearts. And she posted, oh, my mom loved bleeding hearts, da, da, da, da. So guess what? I did a painting for her with the bleeding hearts because it was her mom's favorite flower. She had no clue I was doing this. And I mailed it to her, shocked the heck out of her. She was crying on the other end and so surprised. So those were things that I used for myself to— how would I say— to get me to paint more, to learn how to be more creative, and to be more creative. And as a matter of fact, when you talk, Lori, about there are times when you either are not well or you're going through something personally, I have not had the energy to paint in the last 5 weeks. I just couldn't focus. I've been on a lot of drugs. Et cetera. And I'm like, but like you, watch the videos, you know, and even I was in the car listening to you on one of my appointments. And even last week I was going for a CAT scan, but I kind of snuck in there and kind of heard part of the class. And so it is exciting. So even if you can't paint for personal reasons or whatever is going on, you know, that you're still involved somehow with the tribe and with listening to the videos, et cetera. And so this week, to get me back in, my home nurse has been just fantastic. She has no clue yet. She's not due to come yet for a few more days. So I did a painting for her, and I'm going to be giving her that. And now I'm getting back into it, watching all the classes from this week. I'm itching now to get back to my painting. And so when it comes to time, And what do you do with all those paintings? That's come up in the group or in your classes. Well, guess what? I have a lot of them that have not sold. I have a lot that I have not given. I have a lot that I love from my own home. Um, but I have a huge bin now of paintings that I plan on bringing to some of the senior homes. Yes. And, and donate those and let people choose what they may like, you know, for their rooms or whatever. So there's always something you can do with your artwork, right? There definitely is. Yeah.

I love that because, you know, I was writing down while you were talking because I do think it's a huge part. And we've even done that as part of our challenges, like sending Tribe Sister mail. And, you know, you're making this support for other tribe sisters, and that's just a whole nother fun part of the, the community. But, um, like you said, and I think about the ripple effect that our group, our community can have, because when you choose to spread joy, you're impacting somebody else's life by something that brings you, right? So it's really no different than me as the teacher. Like, I'm just sharing with you guys what I love, but then And once it gets to you, now you're filled up with it, and now you're going to share it with people you love. And it's this amazing ripple effect of happiness and joy. And I feel like, um, the world just needs more of that. So like, yes, there's 1,500 of us women all together, and we're all out there spreading joy and happiness. We're making the world a better place, um, in doing that too. And like you said, just like sending that to your friend, you have no idea what a a simple gesture to someone, whether it be comments or a little card. And, you know, like any of the paintings, um, people think, well, I don't have the canvases, or I don't have room for that, and I'll never paint. Or like, I'm like, you can just do it in your mixed media pad. Just have a book of your art. Like, it doesn't have to go on a wall. But then, right, if you really loved it, you could cut that out and you could mail that to someone, or you could paint on little note cards. I mean, there's so many ways that you can do it on a smaller scale, um, and still just enjoy, you know, all of the, all the fun parts of it. So, um, oh yeah, and the donating to the senior center, I love that. And I did that a couple years ago when I had just a plethora of my paintings from all the paint nights that I taught. You know, like sometimes one painting was really popular and I would teach that class 10 or 12 times. So I had 12 copies, and I went to our women's shelter and asked how many rooms they had at the women's shelter, and each woman got one of my paintings. And then when they were able to leave the shelter, they got to take that painting with them, which actually reminds me, I need to reach back out to them because they probably need some more, some more paintings for their walls. But like just thinking about ways that we can give and spread joy, um, to— it's just another part of the gift of getting to create and, and see the happiness that it brings people. So, um, thank you guys all again for being here. I am going to have to wrap it up because I, I gotta run upstairs so I can teach you guys how to paint now.

Thank you, thank you.

Um, I hope for those of you watching, I, I have been, by the way, we don't have someone in the comments with me today, but I have been reading your comments, um, as we've been going. And, um, I just appreciate you being here. And I hope that even though we had some tears, they're happy tears. I hope it just kind of gave you some insight of to what it really is like inside. Um, and we call ourselves Tribe Sisters, and I fully believe it is a sisterhood. And I love that. Um, and it's a community, and, um, so we would, uh, we would love to have you be a part of it. And I see we have some people coming back who had to take time off, and we have seasons, and that's okay. But, you know, we're going to be here, um, and we're ready to welcome you ladies back who are joining us again. And yes, it's been a great morning with you guys, so thank you again for sharing. And, um, thank Thank you.

Thank you.

Yes.

All right, bye everybody.

Bye.

All right, so I am gonna jump off. I'm running upstairs to actually go teach them right now, um, but it's not too late for you to join us. So, um, we close doors tomorrow. Um, let me throw the link in here. Really quick in case you were watching and did not have the link to join Tribe. Um, and I think that is it. So, um, tomorrow we will be, um, back at noon again, and you will get to meet Megan, our community manager, um, is the glue that holds this amazing sisterhood together. I could not do it without Megan. And, um, you're gonna get to meet some of our— we call them, um, Tribe Big Sisters, um, that are some of the mentors in the group that are there to help kind of welcome you in and guide you along on your journey as well. So, um, thank you guys so much again for sharing, and I'll be back tomorrow at noon for our very last live, and then I'm out. I'm gonna go camping for the weekend, and, um, I will, uh, see you guys soon. All right, bye.