It’s October! This month is special in our family because it includes our wedding anniversary (which happens to be today!). So, for this month’s story, it is only appropriate for me to shine the spotlight on my number one fan and partner in creativity and general shenanigans: Tim!
Tim and I met on a Christian mission trip to Japan in 2003. One of the first gifts I received from him was at the end of our six-week trip. It was a hand-drawn book of cartoons summarizing our team’s experiences packed with hilarious memories. I had to work so hard to suppress my laughter because he had conveniently given it to me and our teammates during what was supposed to be a serious meeting. Tim and I didn’t start dating until three years later but I noticed his creativity and thoughtfulness right from the get-go.
After that trip, I returned to Toronto and he went back to Vancouver. He knew I was looking for work that summer and he also knew I liked to paint, so he asked if he could commission me to create a painting for the apartment he shared with his siblings. He wanted a painting of mountains with the verse from Psalm 121:1-2, “I lift my eyes up to the mountains, where does my help come from? My help comes from the LORD, the maker of heaven and earth.” I couldn’t believe that a guy I had just met would pay me to paint something for him. Little could I have known that that first commission would someday be hanging in my own house!
Over the course of our marriage, Tim has always supported my creative side. When the kids were little and I didn’t have much time or energy, he encouraged me to do small watercolours and later, acrylic paintings. When we started our blog over at timandolive.com, he added an extra page to highlight my art and promote my commission services.
One day in 2016, when I was starting to take on more side projects for people, he looked at me and lamented about how all these nice pieces of artwork never stayed in our house. “Why can’t you paint something that I get to keep?” It hadn’t occurred to me that he would want my work in our house. So I went and bought a 2’x3′ canvas and decided to make a painting just for him. One that he could keep forever.
For his birthday in 2017, I gave him, “Oregon Coast,” a painting of the area of the world where we had spent our honeymoon. I wasn’t aware of photography copyrights back then so unfortunately, I don’t know whose photo I referenced for that painting. But I chose something that included our favourite elements of water, mountains, and a beautiful sunset. Over the years, that painting has been displayed in various locations in our home but during the pandemic, it was moved to our home office to become Tim’s background for all his zoom calls.
In 2020, when I told Tim I wanted to step back from doing marketing work after 7 years of building our company together so that I could start my own art business, he fully supported me. He made sure my time was protected and intentionally shifted the types of projects he took on so that I could be freed up. The fact that he stays curious about who I am and who I’m becoming is something I don’t take for granted. Living with an artist can be challenging and he is so patient with me. On more than one occasion, he has driven me around to chase sunsets and waited for me as I got “just one more” photo of the sky.
Tim has taught me most of what I know about business and marketing. From strategies, to pricing, to how to actually use a spreadsheet, so much of what I know and do on the business front I owe to him. In recent years as I’ve offered calendars and cards, he has spent many an evening packing orders with me and running to the post office for me. I would not be doing what I do today were it not for Tim cheering me on and supporting me.
Today, October 11, 2024 is our 16th anniversary, so… Happy anniversary, Tim! Thank you for everything. You are my favourite.
Questions for reflection, if you want to go deeper: In what small and big ways have you been supported in your life? How is Love inviting you to live out who you are?
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As always, I love to hear from you! If something in this story resonated with you, if you’re interested in commissioning a painting, or if you have other thoughts, feel free to email, or connect with me.