Stacked Keys Podcast
The idea to talk to women who are out there living and making a difference is where the Stacked Keys Podcast was born. There are women who make a difference, but never make a wave while paddling through life. Immediately I can think of a dozen or more who impacted me, but I want more. I want to talk to those I don't know and I want to share with an audience that might need the inspiration to find their own beat. This podcast is to feature women who are impressive in the work world-- or in raising a family -- or who have hobbies that can make us all be encouraged. Want to hear what makes these women passionate and get up in the morning or what they wish they had known earlier in life? Grab your keys and STOMP to your own drum.
Stacked Keys Podcast
Episode 237 -- Rebekah Harrison -- Embracing Creativity: Art, Family, and Personal Growth
In this episode of Stacked Keys Podcast, host Amy Stackhouse interviews Rebekah Harrison, a fine artist from Woodstock, Georgia. Rebecca shares her journey into the art world, the struggles of balancing different creative avenues, and her passion for connecting personally with her collectors. They discuss the challenges and rewards of being a creative business owner, the importance of pursuing personal passions even as a mom, and the value of mentorship and self-kindness. Rebekah also touches on how pivotal moments, like during COVID, allowed her to embrace her dreams and pursue art full-time. They explore the dynamics of family life, societal pressures, and the therapeutic benefits of counseling. This episode is a heartfelt and inspiring conversation about creativity, resilience, and finding joy in both professional and personal worlds.
00:00 Introduction to Stacked Keys Podcast
01:21 Meet Rebecca Harrison: Fine Artist
01:54 The Journey of an Artist
02:37 Connecting with the Community
05:17 Teaching and Encouraging Creativity
07:28 Artistic Preferences and Challenges
10:07 Balancing Art and Life
13:55 Dreams, Failures, and Personal Growth
21:54 Navigating Motherhood and Creativity
29:25 Family Adventures and Inspirations
33:01 Balancing Art and Business
33:21 Learning to Delegate and Manage
34:03 Finding Joy in Art Despite Business Challenges
37:07 Self-Talk and Personal Growth
38:29 Parenting Pressures and Forgiveness
42:46 The Importance of Counseling
47:34 Navigating Technology with Kids
54:48 Mentorship and Friendship
57:03 Final Thoughts and Superpowers
58:50 Connecting with Rebecca
Music "STOMP" used by permission of artist Donica Knight Holdman and Jim Huff
I'm walking all alone down my yellow brick road and I stomp to the beat of my own drum. I got my pockets full of dreams and they're busting at the seams going boom, boom, boom.
Speaker 2:Welcome to Stacked Keys Podcast. I'm your host, amy Stackhouse. This is a podcast to feature women who are impressive in the work world or in raising a family, or who have hobbies that make us all feel encouraged. Want to hear what makes these women passionate to get up in the morning, or what maybe they wish they'd known a little bit earlier in their lives.
Speaker 1:Grab your keys and stomp to your own drum. Whatever you do, it ain't nothing on me, because I'm doing my thing and I hold the key to all my wants and all my dreams Like an old song everything will be all right when I let myself go.
Speaker 2:Well, I am so excited today we have Rebecca Harrison with us. Cannot wait to get to know you a bit, rebecca, and to share you with the audience, so welcome.
Speaker 3:Thank you so much for having me. I'm really honored to be here.
Speaker 2:I'm excited. I know a little bit about you and I know your heart a little bit just from our conversation before we started, so let's come right out of the gate, rebecca, how do people know you professionally and personally?
Speaker 3:Yeah, so I'm an artist, a fine artist. I've always been creative, I've been on a creative journey, but in the last four years I've really dove into pursuing fine arts and putting myself into the art community. So, yeah, I'm known there. I live in Atlanta or just north of Atlanta, georgia, so that's kind of my stomping ground. So that's kind of my stomping ground and I love working with local businesses to share my work, my art and my story in the community. That way has, yeah, that's just kind of my footprint in the world.
Speaker 2:So I love it Now when you say pursuing fine arts. That can take you in so many different directions. You could work in commercial venues, you could do all kinds of things. Do you struggle with where you want to put your art, where you want to put your efforts?
Speaker 3:Gosh yes, I do, and I can go down several rabbit holes and think about all the opportunities, because there is so many amazing opportunities to be an artist Like you can be a surface design artist and have your work on items. You know, everything that you really see in stores and everywhere has art on it and somebody's created that art. So, yeah, so that's a, that's a venue and there's so many different avenues. But for me personally, where I am in my stage of life, I feel like I've landed on just. I love being able to connect with my collectors and buyers and admirers and just on a personal level, so I love being able to meet people in person. So I'll do, you know, in-person art shows and events like that that I can shows and events like that that I can, you know, just meet with people in real life. That's not always the case, but I love getting to connect with people and hear how my art can collide with their life, their journey and their stories. It really is just a ministry to me and to them.
Speaker 2:So kind of I almost said, paint me a picture, but kind of take me down a little bit of a pathway of like you might be in a store and you're actually live painting or you might do some teaching, and there's that's a big jump between those two of doing kind of what you want to and then taking somebody down a pathway. What's your goal when you're starting to try and take someone down a pathway of art?
Speaker 3:Gosh, that's a great question I was actually thinking about that this morning of teaching classes. I don't feel like it's my strength to actually teach the class, but I love the opportunity to encourage someone creatively. Encourage someone creatively and I do feel like we're all creative and we have this creativeness in us some more than others. But I think there's something special that can happen when you do something with your hands and you try something new. So that's always my goal and and teaching and guiding people through the creative process is just allowing them to experiment and explore and just see what comes of it. It's it's fun, and it's fun to see just how unique each, each person is and each class is, you know, yeah, so that's always just been my goal in that.
Speaker 2:Have you ever met somebody that you didn't expect to meet, or that they turned out differently than you thought when they walked in the door?
Speaker 3:Yeah, I mean, probably all the time, you know, I feel like as, as humans, we always have a first thought or, you know, just a preconceived notion, I guess. If you know, seeing someone for the first time but being able to chit, chat with somebody and get to hear them, and yeah, it's always, it's always just really fun meeting somebody. And I'm I'm very introverted, so it's funny when I do classes and in-person stuff, it it drains me and fuels me all at the same time.
Speaker 2:What's your favorite thing to paint? Do you have an item or a subject or something that just draws you? I mean, I've got to stop these. I must talk that way all the time because I'm not doing it intentionally, but what pulls you in?
Speaker 3:Yeah, so I'm inspired mainly by just outside, so nature. I love painting landscapes and I love painting florals. I love painting landscapes and I love painting florals. Yeah, it's florals is something that I feel like comes more naturally to me, like it's just fun and loose. I can have a lot of fun with it. Landscapes is more of a challenge for me but it switches up my creative brain so I'm not doing the same thing over and over and it kind of challenges me and pushes me and grows me deeper as an artist to do two different subjects. Yeah, because I'll get bored with doing the same thing. I've got to switch it up. Yeah, because I'll get bored with doing the same thing. I've got to switch it up. But landscapes, definitely, yeah, they just challenge me more because your florals can be very whimsy and it doesn't have to be exact, and sometimes landscapes, you have to have a little bit of perspective to portray what you're trying to.
Speaker 2:You know paint, so yeah, is there a color that you like better, that kind of pulls you in more?
Speaker 3:um, I love greens. I've always been a green girl. Um, love greens, love blues. Um, I'm I like more muted colors, like just softer. My palette always tends to be colorful but soft at the same time, so I feel like that's kind of a unique thing for me, just personally. So I don't have these vibrant colors. I can paint vibrant colors, but I tend to just stay this soft, calm color palette is a common thread through my paintings.
Speaker 2:I think I saw something that you did that was hydrangeous. Yes, yeah, it had kind of the purpley blue hue and then had that dark green. Yeah, you kind of get all of your likes in there. That's right. Are you a perfectionist?
Speaker 3:um, yes and no, I mean I can't be. I feel like I can't be as an artist because it's not ever going to be perfect, and when I put that pressure on is when it really sucks the joy out of painting for me. Yeah, I love playing with color and shadow and lights and darks to, yeah, to paint a picture there's another one of yours To capture the subject without having it to be realistic, if that makes sense, so it's very it to be realistic if that makes sense, so it's very impressionistic a style instead of realism. When I start getting picky and getting real fine details is when I, yeah, it's no longer fun, I get frustrated and it doesn't do what I want it to do, and so I usually just have to take a break and then come back.
Speaker 2:Well, that's a pretty good life skill of like, okay, take a break and then come back. Yeah, so have you? Have you had? You know I'm probably in the last several months I struggle with the word failure and people are talking about failure and going oh, you know, failure is good. You embrace failure, you want failure and I'm like, no, I don't, I'm there to fail and I mean there might be a lesson coming out of it, but that's not my goal. So, as a business owner and artist, do you struggle with failure in the sense of, well, that didn't work, I can go here. Or do you have to just put it down sometimes and let it fall where it does? How do you? Is that something you struggle with?
Speaker 3:Yeah, yeah, I feel like my biggest learning experiences have been in failures, which is usually the case. You know they they stick and sting the hardest. But but it's after I get through the initial like oh, that sucked really bad and that was not what I wanted or expected. You know, I always have a choice of okay, like let's reevaluate, let's rethink and was this worth my time, was this not worth my time? And how do I, how do I best steward my time well and my learning experiences well after something?
Speaker 2:doesn't go right.
Speaker 3:There's been lots of opportunities for that for me and it's led me where I am today, like if I would have just kept doing the same thing over and over, I would be stuck so being able to say, okay, I'm going to just get back up and try again, and also just talking with other people who are pursuing their passions and dreams. And my husband's a great resource for me. Just, I can lean on him and talk to him about all my questions and, um, he can kind of guide me in that.
Speaker 2:So yeah it's definitely failure, yeah well, do you think there's a difference between dreams and and wishes and wishes? So, wishing something versus dreaming, versus doing.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I don't know, that's a great question. The word wish, I feel like, is very surfacy, um, whereas dream is kind of, is deeper, it kind of comes within you. So, um, we can wish things, but I feel like wishes are, uh, not very lasting, they don't have a lasting effect, but dreams are, I don't know, they, they're deeper, it's a deeper word for me. So, yeah, I think there's a difference there. I think dreams, I think dreams can align with desires if we allow them to like. You know, just the desires of our hearts can become our dreams and they can align there. So, yeah, on a deeper level for sure.
Speaker 2:Have your dreams changed from the time you were 12 years old.
Speaker 3:Yeah, you know what? I never allowed myself the space to dream. I think I was a dreamer as a kid, but I kind of stuffed it per se and I feel like, for me, I gave myself permission to dream about five years ago it's like to just recognize that, oh, wait a minute, that's a dream, that's a desire, that's a. You know, I just gave it a voice and gave it permission to, to exist, and then, as I, as I pressed into, that dream is where my business came from. Because, you know, here I am, I would have never, ever, in a million years, thought that I would be an artist and selling art around the world. So, um, so, yeah, it's, it's, it's crazy, um, and I and I do still struggle to dream or just name a dream. You know, it feels scary for me to name a dream just like, ooh, that's too big or that feels so out there, but it's really. I think giving it a name and giving it permission to just be and exist and be recognized is really powerful.
Speaker 3:So five years ago was there something that was a moment, something that happened or something that you, that that opened up that door to dream. Yeah, so five years ago was COVID. So you know, a lot of stuff changed during that time, um, but there was a for me personally. Well, I had two little kids at the time, um, or still have two little kids, but they were little at the time and, um it, I just I needed something to do. That was just me, you know, that was apart from being a mom, and so that's where I kind of stepped into painting and creating and painting things for other people. I love giving gifts, I'm a gift giver, um, so so that's kind of how I started.
Speaker 3:And then, um, along the dreaming, uh question, so in the summer of 2020, I had a really hard family moment. Um, just uh, um, yeah, it was just a hard family time and, um, a big, big blow up, a big um, just a big marking point for me. Just step back and then realize what God has given me and has given me to steward, and me and my husband and my two kids. We're a family and a unit and I don't know I was able to truly just. You know, the Bible says to leave and to cleave to your husband, and I felt like in that moment I was able to indescribable freedom, to just be able to do what God's created me to do, you know.
Speaker 3:So, and that was sharing my, my artwork and, um, being a mom and a wife. So, um, yeah, it was just, it was. It was a really supernatural moment. It was really hard moment, but a supernatural moment of just launching me out and allowing me to to rediscover what that little girl, you know, dreamed when she was little but didn't really have, didn't give it a voice. So I was able to just say you know what, I'm going to give it a voice and try it. And so, yeah, and little by little, it just kind of grew.
Speaker 2:So it's an intentional moment. I mean you had to make some intentional, pretty scary steps, yeah yeah, and I know the cleaving to your husband and kind of getting the encouragement there. But I mean there's some moments that could stop you in your tracks when somebody is walking towards you. How do you handle that? You just power up.
Speaker 3:I feel like it was just spirit led Like, um, uh, I'm, I'm, I'm a big believer and um, I, just I felt like that. It was just his, his lovingness, his kindness to set me on this path, that that he had for me and to give me the, the strength and the, the vision and the desire to to learn and grow. And, um, you know, I, I was creative, but I wasn't a great painter, so I had to learn and grow and but I, I was interested in it and it it gave me I don't know, it just breathed life into me. I was happy when I did it and, um, you know, I was, I was very thankful that I my husband was, you know, in a good job, so I didn't have to like, have a job or have to make money or anything. So it gave me this permission in this space to just learn and explore and press into what might be next.
Speaker 2:Well, you know, it sounds like I mean you're a mom of young kids and giving mom permission to to be not just mom but be Rebecca. Yeah, do you find sometimes that your peers and then just society as a whole, um, doesn't always encourage that and so you kind of what you tell somebody who's in that same position of of that there can be mom guilt. That can be so debilitating. What would you say?
Speaker 3:Um, I would say, I totally understand.
Speaker 3:Um yeah, the mom, the mom guilt, um, is definitely there for sure. But in the same breath, I feel like it has allowed me to be a better mom to them, because I'm not totally overstimulated with just mommy. Everything, and it's been so cool for them to come alongside me and be creative and paint beside me and create beside me and to see mom going out and pursuing something that she loves and enjoys, is not sacrificing them, but just, you know, it's, it's kind of a part of everything. So, um, yeah, I think it's very important to just for them to, to know that they're, they're loved, but they're not the sole purpose. Like they're not you know what I mean Like there's, there's priorities and there's, you know, there's the world does not revolve around them, so they don't expect everything to just be given to them on a silver platter. A different perspective of all, right, mommy, mommy works and mommy does what she loves and and still gets to play in love with. You know, be mom to us. So.
Speaker 2:Yeah Well, I mean, you're almost at their earlier stages giving them permission.
Speaker 1:Mm-hmm.
Speaker 3:Yeah.
Speaker 2:Maybe you didn't have that and and and, so they get to see that in the reality and it's. For me, it's been a lot of teamwork of like, hey, this is how we all get to do, and then I'm on for something that one of my kids is involved in, or I'm on for the other one, or I need them on for me, or I'm on for the other one, or I need them on for me. And as my kids grew up, I mean I'd have a presentation or something and they got really good at these different presentations and PowerPoints to put together. And so there became this teamwork and it's kind of neat. As they grow up, they've grown up with you doing something. Do you think that maybe our daily actions become who we really are?
Speaker 3:Yeah, absolutely. You know what you, what you put in is what you get out, like you know. So, yeah, it's, it's a rhythm. So, every, every day, we, every day, we're training our bodies and our minds and our hearts and whatever we're doing. So, yeah, I absolutely do.
Speaker 2:Can you tell when you need a break or you need to go have an adventure?
Speaker 3:Yes, yeah, I do and yeah, that's been a challenge for me is because it's having a creative job doesn't look like it's not feeling these creative juices flowing. So it's it's, and it's not like a nine to five, you know. So it's it's hard to figure out a balance there of of capturing when I'm feeling creative and knowing when I'm not, and giving myself permission to just go outside and walk around or go to the park or go shopping or just do something. That's different, that kind of rests my mind, whereas when I wasn't doing this as a job, you know I would. That would be. My free time is being creative. So now it's like all right, what do I find? What do I, what can I do in my free time? That's almost not creative in a way.
Speaker 3:So I've found that I love gardening. I love just being in the garden planting, playing in the dirt. Um, and yeah, that's kind of my, my outside, just something, something different, still creative. But I have no control over it, it's just, I'm just digging in the dirt. Well, that's kid friendly.
Speaker 2:But that is funny, I mean. A lot of times if you do something that is your passion, then it can become such a drudgery and you lose the love for it. Do you kind of put some safeguards in there to make sure you don't?
Speaker 3:Yeah, I mean I, I try and protect, protect my time as much as I can. Just, you know I have, I have to be more disciplined. I'm not a very disciplined person, so I have to just say, okay, from you know, nine to two, 30, I'm just going to come to my studio and you know, if I'm not feeling creative then I can do some computer work, or if I'm, you know, if I'm feeling super creative, then I can just go crazy. Um, but yeah, holding those parameters of, okay, I can't just work. You know I work from home, so I can't just be in my studio all day, every day. Um, cause that's not fair to my family. But um, yeah, and then just balancing a lot of times I work on the weekends because you know, I'm at stores or in downtown's painting or whatever. So giving myself space on, you know, monday and Tuesday instead of Saturday and Sunday, to just have some rest and some downtime.
Speaker 3:So, yeah, it just looks a little different than your nine to five, monday through Friday.
Speaker 2:So so do you guys go off as a family? Do you travel? Are you a adventuresome family?
Speaker 3:Yeah, we love. We love to travel together. So that's kind of the money that I make in art is our travel fund. We love taking the kids and just exploring and going places and, you know, hopping on planes and going to different countries and I think it's it's just really fun and it's something that we value as a family.
Speaker 2:So, and the kids, you know, love it but yeah, that's one way to get them to want you to go to work. Come work, mommy I know.
Speaker 3:I tell them I'm like, look, I've got to do this if we want to go here.
Speaker 2:That's, that's hilarious. So where's your favorite place that you've been?
Speaker 3:So we go as a family, we go to a resort in Mexico and Cancun and it's got, you know, it's an all inclusive and it's very catered towards the kids. So there's water slides and, you know, ice cream stands and all kinds of things just all over and it's. It's just a lot of fun to go with them and and just not have to think about anything. You just go and enjoy life and have fun and just get to see them laugh and giggle and not have to worry about anything.
Speaker 2:It's just kind of in this dream world for a week my um, my son is living in Cancun and so yeah, so when he sends us, it was so funny, he was doing a podcast with somebody and, um, and they're like, oh, I love your virtual background. And it's like, oh, I love your virtual background.
Speaker 2:And it's like no that's really the leaves are like glowing but. But yeah, I mean just that kind of escape and and um, you know some, if it's that, I don't know just being able to create that time where you have mental space and physical space. So what do you think people might mean when they say less is more?
Speaker 3:Gosh, that could mean a lot of different things, probably to a lot of different people, man, but I think for me, less is more. Um, yeah, just, it means more simplicity, like, just when you have all these different things, or whether you're trying to manage different things or clean different things or, you know, take care of different things, whatever the subject is. But yeah, it's just, it's always easier to manage less and you get more, more space to enjoy. Enjoy the less that you have, like the less being.
Speaker 2:Less can become more, because you've yeah, it just yeah, it allows space to receive them.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I like that. Well, being an artist is one thing, but you also are running a business. So you have to have business systems in place and I don't know about you, but I mean, I will throw my hands up in a heartbeat and say I'm an English major, I'm sorry, accounting. So you have all these things that you have to take care of. Have you figured out business systems and how to delegate, or do you? Or does that overwhelm you? How do you, how do you function as a business owner?
Speaker 3:Yeah, I've learned a lot. I've grown a lot. For sure, my husband is a business major, so he has been a great resource for me to just now, he doesn't do things for me. That's one thing. He's like I'll just give you like you can do this, like I believe you can do it. So I've had to learn a lot, but I've had a great teacher, great teachers, a lot of different people who pour into me.
Speaker 3:Um, but yeah, the business part I do not like. I just want to paint and share my stuff. Um, but yeah, it does come with accounting and taxes and website and listings and social media and all the different avenues to to manage and it really it can get overwhelming very quickly. Um, but I also have.
Speaker 3:I feel like I've just learned to to not give it so much power and just to, I don't know, treat it. Treat it like what it is. I mean it's, it is a business, it's important, but it's not the end. All be all like it. If I don't make an Instagram post, it's going to be okay. If I don't do everything with the pretty little bow, it's going to be okay. Um and um, yeah, just not giving it the power to steal my joy of what I really do love to do, and that's to paint and create and to share my work. Um so, and sometimes it still does. It still does steal my joy, but I'm I'm learning that it's a lot less pressure in reality than it I put the pressure on and it's really, it's going to be okay, yeah.
Speaker 2:Well, I love that. Give it the power. I mean that kind of takes the control back into your own hands. Control back into your own hands is that something that maybe you have been working and and that's how you started into your business was taking your power and your control and not giving things the power they don't deserve?
Speaker 3:yeah, for sure, it's been a big part of my story and my healing process of just yeah, like you know, the world, the enemy, is out to kill, steal and destroy and wants to distort things, and you know, and we so often give it power that it doesn't deserve, give it power that it doesn't deserve, Like, um, so yeah, just saying okay, no, this is, this is who I am, this is who God created me to be, and like this is, I'm just being obedient and to what he's called me to do, so and that's all I can do. You know, like that's, that's all he's asked me to do is just to say yes and to show up and he'll do the rest, and he does. He's faithful every time.
Speaker 2:So, um, yeah, you're a self-talker. Have you always been a self-talker?
Speaker 3:Yeah, probably. Well, I mean in my, in my later years, I guess, just yeah.
Speaker 2:Are you kind to yourself.
Speaker 3:For the most part, I've learned to be kind to myself. I've, you know, I've been in counseling for however long and 14 years and yeah, that's the first thing we kind of started on is just being kind to myself and um it, it truly is um life-changing to just be kind to yourself and speak kindly, forgive and um allow grace, oh yeah, and definitely allow grace.
Speaker 2:Oh yeah, and definitely allow grace. When was the last time you had to forgive yourself?
Speaker 3:Oh, probably yesterday. Good morning's fresh right, yeah. Yeah, I mean that's a, that's a, yeah, that's an ongoing thing, especially being a mom and a wife and you know I'm not I'm going to mess up a lot.
Speaker 2:Really so, as a mom, do you feel that pressure? Do you feel it from your yourself, your kids, school, I mean, where do you feel that the most?
Speaker 3:Probably with myself. Yeah for sure. Yeah, just you know, there's always this little underlying voice of you need to do more. You need to. You know, I don't know not more not more, but I don't know. Just do things differently, or love, love differently, or connect differently, you know just. However, whatever it is, um, but yeah, so I can kind of spin in those, in those circles.
Speaker 3:But, but yeah, I mean when I do mess up, I I try and own it with my kids, just because we all mess up and they they're not going to learn if I don't own anything myself.
Speaker 2:So I think it's good for them to see their mom say oops, I messed up, I'm so sorry, please forgive me Well you know, there's sometimes that when you mess up and they get a little bit older and they band together and they I mean I had mine throw a coup on me one time. No, I had this bright idea that they needed to be taking barley green, I don't know. It was some kind of thing going on around and so I was like we're going to do this, and so it was nasty, it was so awful. And one day they all three looked at each other and said we're not doing it. And I said, well, you're going to sit here at the bar counter until you do. And they were like all right, they literally sat there for hours and finally they looked at me. I looked at them, I said you're not going to do it, are you? And they were like not going to do it. And then it was that moment of how ridiculous is this? This is so ridiculous. And it was. And so I just I said okay, y'all win, y'all win, talk about it now. And I mean they're in their thirties, they talk about that.
Speaker 2:And my son ended up with a heart issue and we were in cardiac rehab and, um, he was 13 and in walks the lady who sold us that and he turned to me. He said I told you he'd kill you. She had had a massive heart attack. Oh no, you know. So sometimes your kids can do that and it just puts this reality on you of like, yeah, I was out there. I'm sorry, they get a great joke out of it for years. But you know as a mom, a lot of that stuff just happens and you're doing the best you can do and yet sometimes we expect so much more from ourselves. I mean, I've had to grace my mom of like she was doing the best she knew how, and so I kind of just hope that my kids end up with that. Of like, hey, she was doing the best she could and sometimes she missed the mark, like with the barley green could and sometimes she missed the mark, like with the barley green.
Speaker 3:Yeah, that is, that is. That is true, and that's all we can do. You know, like same with my mom and same with me, like I'm just doing the best I can and I'm going to mess up. There's going to be wounds and hurts that we're going to have to walk through, but I hope that I cultivate, uh, just a relationship that we can talk, talk about it, and that they can. They always feel, they can come and say, hey, this was uncool, or I felt this way, or whatever.
Speaker 2:Um, so, you talked about. You've been in counseling for ever and and I can relate to that I'm really glad that we have now kind of moved into a part of our society of like, having a counselor, having therapy, is not as weird or frowned upon, but I mean it also, um, puts you in a vulnerable state. So how do you communicate that, maybe, to your friends or to others of like, hey, there's nothing means that this is wrong or that a marriage is over, or that you're, you know, at the end of your complete rope. Do you communicate that to your peers?
Speaker 3:Yeah to your peers. Yeah, counseling has. Well, when I first got married, it was, you know, I didn't grow up in a family where it was like, oh yeah, counseling it was, it had this stigma with it and it was this weird icky thing. But when I got married and started going to counseling, it just it was a big part of our marriage, like just as a couple, like that's what, that's what we did. We went and it was important and it was important to us. And it took a while for me to get on board, like it was very uncomfortable and but it, yeah, like it's just part of our life. So our family and friends know that and my husband is actually a counselor now. So we, yeah, it's just part of our everyday and I have personally experienced just the power of being able to talk and to get things out and just to have somebody listen and to have somebody speak back into those spaces that needed spoken to.
Speaker 2:You know, like it needed God's word to just shine right on that spot and for me to grow and, yeah, to become more like Christ. So, to become more like Christ, so yeah, well, that's interesting.
Speaker 2:I mean, it's so often one of the reasons I like counseling is because I don't want to dump on my friends all the time, or my kids, you know. I mean have to consciously like don't, don't overload this kid with this. Yeah, you know that. And it's like because they will, they're, they're my, they're some of my best friends and so to hear they, they want to hear my heart, they want to hear my day. But if I can pay somebody to get that part and maybe help me practice the better outpourings, it's just been helpful and useful and I think I really believe I mean, I'm an older mom, but I really believe that young moms truly need it because it can be such an alienating world.
Speaker 3:Oh yeah, for sure, oh yeah.
Speaker 2:You know we're talking about our daily habits and things that we're pouring into our kids and what we're trying to be. If you had a habit that you wanted to change, do you know right off what it would be?
Speaker 3:Oh, probably scrolling Instagram or just you know, just scrolling around. I mean I'm watching like gardening videos or whatever, but I can just you know the mindlessness of just watching pretty flowers grow and so many plant this planter and but yeah, I mean it's, that's probably the habit that I would need to just kind of pull back on.
Speaker 2:Yeah, cause it can suck the time, can't it?
Speaker 3:really can. Yeah, all of a sudden it's like, oh shoot, I've just wasted so much time on this stupid cell phone. Yeah, but yeah, that would definitely be it.
Speaker 2:Yeah Well, you know, at the same time, being a mom of of youngsters, you have to kind of figure out that whole world. I didn't have to figure out that world really. What's that like for you?
Speaker 3:Yeah, you mean the technology world. Yeah, that is an ever evolving thing. I still haven't figured that out completely and yeah, it's really hard because so much, so much is out there and I understand, like you know how it's fun playing a game or or you know doing a video game or whatever. But learning how to put boundaries on that and safeguards around different things is, yeah, it can be a full-time job just managing that. So we try and limit the screen time as much as we can. But you know it's hard, it's really hard, it's a, it's a hard battle every day.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I can't imagine, because you've got the peer pressure. I was with somebody let's see how old is she she's a tween, yeah and and they had given her a type of phone or I guess they had given her an iPod and it had the same capabilities as an iPhone, but it didn't look the same. And so the peers made fun of you know. Yeah, look at what you've got. And so not only are you having to deal with what your principles are and I know we always had peer pressure, but wait, this is in your face.
Speaker 3:It's very in your face. Yeah, we're definitely experiencing that. My daughter's nine, so we're getting up into you know, well, so-and-so did this and she has this and this and that, and it's like, well, you know, we're that's. She doesn't, she's not part of our family, like, we just have different family rules and values. And, yeah, it's really tricky with without undermining the friend or her family, you know. So not that they're doing anything wrong, it's just we're not, we're just doing a little different. It's really well, it's a yeah.
Speaker 2:Yeah, we could kind of pull off from some things and you know, you didn't really notice or because it just wasn't so prevalent. But I can surely remember my mom saying, well, I'm not her mother now, am I. You know, I wanted to go to ride my bike after you know dark or whatever. But yeah, I guess it's an age old problem. Yeah, and it just changes subject.
Speaker 3:Yeah, it does. And I keep telling myself, like you can get, you can really get overwhelmed with just how much is out there and just just everything. Um, and I keep telling myself, like you know, the Lord knew that my kids were going to grow up in this time, like this is no surprise, like these all these different distractions and things that are coming at our kids is is he's prepared them for it and he, you know, given, given us the tools to navigate it. So I'm just, I just continue to trust him with my kids and and with me and my family.
Speaker 2:So, yeah, well, the opportunities you have, rebecca, are. You know, you've got all this creativity and you know a lot of kids don't have any of that in in their face and and yeah, having those options, not many moms and because we are an audio show, I'm going to have to say not many moms have pink paint on their arm, you know and so all of a sudden they get a treasure that somebody else doesn't even have, because, oh, my goodness, you're going to make a mess. So, yeah, and that's, that's a, that's a treasure. Tell me what?
Speaker 2:your perfect day looks like.
Speaker 3:Oh, I think my perfect day would be waking up. Um, like sleeping in and then waking up and the coffee's already made. So drink a cup of coffee on my porch. Um, yeah, maybe paint in the garden outside on a pretty day, just walk around, wander around. I love to just walk around, be in my own head, yeah, and then in the evening, curling up on the couch with my kids and my husband and watching a movie, eating popcorn. I love that. It does something to me. I just love it so much.
Speaker 2:That's awesome. Yeah, that's awesome. If you could shout about something really loud. This is your platform. What would? What would you communicate whether it be to the artist or to moms or to couples what? What would you shout really loudly about?
Speaker 3:hmm, what would you shout really loudly about? Hmm, yeah, I would probably shout the loudest about just being yourself, like being you, not who the internet tells you to be. Um, especially in my world, like as as an artist, um, getting to to know the art community and seeing artists express themselves in so many different ways and, um, it doesn't look like the a Pinterest board, you know, like it just it's unique and just to fill your world with things that make you happy and that are funky and fun and that that are. That's you. That's just completely uniquely you. And it's okay if not everybody likes the same thing. Yeah, not everybody likes the same thing. Yeah, just to Just permission to be yourself and to like the things that you like and to do the things that you do, and yeah, that's probably Pretty good platform.
Speaker 2:Yeah, very good platform. So, do you have you had a mentor? Did you look for mentors and have you, in turn, been a mentor.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I've prayed for mentors and God's given me mentors along my journey. I remember one of my first prayers after I got saved was I just want girl friends, I just want friends that are girls, and I've always been, you know, I've always been friends with boys cause they're drama, you know, they don't have the drama or whatever. Um, but when, um, when I got saved, that was one of my first prayers is I just want friends that are girls. And literally the next day, he brought three amazing women who just poured into me.
Speaker 3:And then, yeah, it's just been that way throughout my life and my journey of just, ok, god, you know, you know that desire is there, so I just trust that you'll bring somebody and he does so, and I've I've had very, some very deep friendships that have come from that Um, so, yeah, and then, yeah, and then I've um, had the opportunity to, you know, in turn, pour into some younger girls and, just along the way, and some kids, some of my friends' kids, I mean my kids' friends. And, yeah, just, I try and be obedient to the opportunities that arise, but yeah, I'm not like pursuing it, I'm just I'm just asking so and being attentive to what might come my way.
Speaker 2:Well, you said earlier asking and available being available. So when that opportunity comes, yeah there yeah, for sure that's awesome. We've talked about a lot of different things. Is there anything that we haven't touched on that you want to make sure you say?
Speaker 3:haven't touched on that you want to make sure you say yeah, I think if you're married, if you have kids or whatever, just remember that that's a gift from God and yeah, he's brought it together for a reason. So there's sometimes it's going to be really hard and it doesn't feel like it, but I believe he has and yeah, don't give up.
Speaker 2:That's. That's a good one. That's encouraging. So if you had a superpower, use it any way you wanted to to, and you had it 24 hours. You can use it personally or professionally. What superpower would you choose? How would you use it and why would you choose it?
Speaker 3:I don't know there would be a lot of different things, but like that it would just suck all the clutter out of my house, like go through all the little overwhelming spaces in my home would clear, clear out, so yeah.
Speaker 2:I want that an overwhelming sucker yeah, that's funny. That's funny. I never thought about that as a superpower, but yeah, and yeah, you could market that yeah, that would sell it would um rebecca. How do people get in touch with you? Follow you see your work yeah, um.
Speaker 3:So I have a website. It's rebeccaharrisonfineartcom. Um, I'm on instagram it's, I think, at rebeccaharrisonfineart, as well, um, and as well as facebook, and, and, if you're in the Atlanta area, I'm at Southernite Interiors in Canton, at Gather and Bloom in downtown Woodstock, at Urban Fresh in Alpharetta and then at Feather and Stone in Big Canoe. So those are all my little touches around.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that is awesome. Okay, now is Rebecca spelled with a K it is, it's R-E-B-E-K-A-H, so All right. That's great. Thank you, it has been absolutely amazing.
Speaker 3:Oh, yay, thank you so much has been really really fun.
Speaker 1:So to my own song song.
Speaker 2:Find Stacked Keys Podcast on Spotify, soundcloud and iTunes or anywhere you get your favorite podcast listened, you'll laugh out loud, you'll cry a little, you'll find yourself encouraged. Join us for casual conversation that leads itself, based on where we take it, from family to philosophy, to work to meal prep, to beautifully surviving life. And hey, if I could ask a big favor of you, go to iTunes and give us a five rating. The more people who rate us, the more we get this podcast out there. Thanks, I appreciate it. I got a stomp to my own drum stomp to my own song stomp. Hey, gonna put all my boots in the room.
Speaker 4:I got a stomp to my own drum, stomp to my own song stomp, hey, ooh, ooh, ooh.
Speaker 1:Gonna sing it out loud and say it real proud. I'm going to sing it out loud and say it real proud. Nobody's going to step on my cloud, cause I stomp, stomp to the beat of my big drum. I got a big drum. Whatever you do, it ain't nothing on me, cause I'm doing my thing and I got the key to all my wants and all my dreams.
Speaker 4:Yeah, Cause I stomp to my own drum, stomp to my own song. We'll be you next time.