We were lucky to catch up with Donna Foreman recently and have shared our conversation below.

Donna, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Can you share a story about the kindest thing someone has done for you and why it mattered so much or was so meaningful to you?

The kindest thing anyone has ever done for me is to allow me to tell my story at a Women’s Event at my church. The friend who was heading up this Event granted me permission to BE SEEN. Sometimes in our lives, the hurt and pain pile ON, and it can be from childhood to wherever we are currently. She was saying to me, I SEE YOU, I CARE ABOUT YOU. I was given permission to speak freely, I didn’t need to be politically correct, I could name names, whatever Jesus wanted me to say, she gave me PERMISSION to SPEAK.

Donna, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I am currently the Creative Artist of The Joy Shoppe which was born in 2021 coming out of Covid. My main career previously had been in Accounting which I had worked in for 40 years. Exiting the isolation of the lockdown, there was a lot of pent-up energy that came out in creativity. I had a friend who was hosting a Pop-Up Boutique and asked if I would like to be a part of it and create some items to showcase and sell. Well, I absolutely did! I upcycled furniture and decor, created new pieces, created some Art pieces and brought them to the Pop Up. That began the journey of The Joy Shoppe. Currently, I create Mixed Media Art, Resin Art, upcycle furniture and decor and turn cutter quilts and textiles into pillows. My style is super ECLECTIC, COLORFUL and full of JOY. My pieces are just FUN. I am most proud of the fact that I have learned how to do all these techniques and work in all these mediums which are all brand new to me. I am in what is termed the “retired empty nester” season of life but I have found something NEW to pour into. I think one thing that sets me apart is my faith and that I pray over my pieces because I want them to carry LOVE & TRUTH & JOY into the spaces that they will be going into.

In your view, what can society to do to best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem?

Personally, I think the best thing someone can do to support Artists is to SHOP SMALL and SHOP LOCAL. You hear it all the time, you see it all the time, the hashtags and posts, but very few people are actually doing this. Get out to your local Markets and Pop-Ups and see what the Artists are creating. Go to their Social Media Pages and SHARE that on your Social Media. The best Marketing is WORD OF MOUTH. These Artists need your HELP. Share their posts, share their Page, Comment on their Posts, etc. It is very difficult gathering an audience beyond who we personally know. So, PLEASE, SHARE, SHARE, SHARE.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can provide some insight – you never know who might benefit from the enlightenment.

As a Creative, we are sharing and posting what we are CREATING almost daily. A LOT of Artists really struggle with this because there are so many things that can happen that aren’t nice….people do say mean things, you may share something you poured your heart into and it receives NO response, you ASK people for HELP sharing your Business and NO ONE responds. It takes courage and vulnerability to put oneself out there over and over again with little to no support. Also, many Creatives may have higher emotion that the average person which is where all that creativity births from. So, I would just say…..BE KIND, BE SUPPORTIVE.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.littlesparrowvintage.com/shop/the-joy-shoppe
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thejoyshoppe
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thejoyshoppe
• Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/donna-foreman-0aaa9853