We were lucky to catch up with Samantha Briggs recently and have shared our conversation below.

SAMANTHA, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Can you talk to us about a project that’s meant a lot to you?

The most meaningful project I have ever worked on was Rima’s Kitchen Cabinets. Rima is a dear friend who I met through my husband’s boss. She has such a wonderful sense of style and a loving personality. Rima had me paint her stair rails a beautiful color we custom mixed and she has leopard print stairs! Her house is full of color and unique decor. We spoke about some other areas in her home we could refresh with pretty paint colors and the kitchen came up. Rima wanted to paint her cabinets pink! I was so excited and honored to create the kitchen of her dreams. Each day I would show up to work she would make me tea and breakfast. She would bring me snacks and juice using pretty dishes and cups. We always had the best conversations and her daughter-in-law Mary would join us. They both made me feel so loved and like I was family. We had such a great time seeing the project through and choosing fun hardware for the pulls and knobs. We finished with a photoshoot; this was the most enjoyable, bold, and rewarding project I’ve ever done. It filled my cup in many ways. I will always be grateful.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

My name is Samantha Briggs! Hi! I am 39 years old, I live in Texas with my Sweet Bestie Husband Matt, and our son Ethan. Ethan is my bonus baby and I thank god for him every day!
My journey took a lot of twists and turns and about 9 years ago I decided to get back to the things that made me happy and focus on that more than anything else. I was going to make my happiness a priority and treat it like my job.
It started with growing my food, designing a loving functional home, and creating ART. I had shifted my focus and my intentions. I remember thinking, “Wow I haven’t felt like this since high school”. The old me was coming back, the fun happy girl, dancing, painting my room crazy, and making art to hang up. I had to be headed in the right direction.

I began to intentionally create beautiful things such as repainting outdated furniture and customizing home décor. I told myself to keep creating and learning as much as I could EVERY DAY, even if no one saw it. I took a leap of faith and opened an Etsy shop posting a wooden sign I painted. I then started a YouTube Channel making videos of me painting and later created my website! I dove deep into self-development, marketing, and learning new techniques for painting.
Fast forward to the present day, I make jewelry, paint, take photos, and create videos! My focus is my website, and my Etsy Shop where I sell my products, and I also provide custom services, such as interior painting and photography. What started as a hobby became a full-blown dream come true and a way of life.
My specialty is putting a modern spin on antiques. I use bright colors and fun combinations to create something bold, artsy, and refreshing. I love to use drippy gold paint as a final touch and I enjoy using colors that light you up, such as bright pinks, bold greens, purples, and blue.
What sets me apart from others is that my pieces are one of a kind, they are exciting to look at and create a unique aesthetic. I paint the back of items and the inside of drawers. No matter where you look, you will see beauty. I am here to help you live more sustainably by recycling furniture and décor and giving them new life. I can help you add pops of color that positively change your mood and lead you to love your space! I want to inspire you to focus on a beautiful reality. We get to create these feelings for ourselves. I encourage you to set yourself up for these sweet moments and watch the magic unfold.

I truly thank you for being here. Thank you for reading this and taking the time to let my words grace your thoughts today.

Are there any books, videos or other content that you feel have meaningfully impacted your thinking?

My favorite book on self-development is The Slight Edge. It brought so much awareness to doing a little bit every day towards your improvement for massive results. I was making things out to be harder than they were. Just the thought of improving myself and my craft felt heavy. I felt like I needed to take lots of classes do big projects and read a ton. I learned all l I needed to do was something small every single day. This was the one idea that enabled me to show up. I could start small and make it easy to do. It didn’t have to sign up for a 6-month course or spending hours a day reading up on the topics I needed help in. I could read for 10 minutes a day and listen to a podcast on my morning drive. It helped me set a routine and build habits that felt easy because they were simple and fun. The concept of doing small things daily can transform your life over time. I will forever be grateful to understand this principle.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

During the pandemic, my art career took the front seat. The company I worked for had to conduct layoffs and I was able to focus on my creative journey. I worked from home and provided bookkeeping services to a few clients for a steady income while mainly focusing on my art. My Etsy shop was doing well, and I had custom projects rolling in. Things felt so wonderful having my own Art business and utilizing my admin experience. This went on for a couple of years and then people began heading back into the workforce. Life got busy again for most people and my furniture sales got a little slow. I then received an offer to go back to the office where I had previously been laid off. I knew it would be a smart move to have a consistent source of income, however, this felt like a step back. It felt like I was giving up on my freedom and the new beautiful life I created. I sat with this for a bit and I realized just because I was going back to the office didn’t mean I was throwing my dreams away. Why did I feel like I could only do one or the other? I could plan my day around my commitments and still focus on what brings me the most joy. If I went back, I would have the opportunity to be around friends, help someone with their dreams, and still chase mine. I could fund my passions with ease, I could use my drive time to listen to podcasts and I could create a consistent routine. If I decided to go for it and didn’t like it, then I could just quit, right? Right. I said yes and this became a reality. I am so thankful I was able to see this as an opportunity for growth. I am learning to manage my time and workload, to focus on a beautiful life, and also provide ease with my highest potential income. It made things possible like doing pop-ups and purchasing all the equipment I needed for that. It helped me buy new material and upgrade my vehicle to a truck so I could haul furniture. Taking what felt like a step back was a leap forward. It challenges me to do more, savor my time, and focus on my business every chance I get. Everything feels more intentional, precious, and meaningful.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://decoratingtheshack.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theshack85/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theshack85
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@decoratingtheshack

Image Credits

My Sweet Pea Photography