Heleza

IT’S SHOW TIME!!!

Welcome back to my blog! It’s been a hectic week so far! I have spent the last month and a half preparing for my first time as a vendor for the Bakery District Street Fest in Fort Smith, Arkansas. which is tomorrow! You can check them out here: https://bakeryfs.com. This will be the first live advocacy painting demo that I’ve ever done and I’m not gonna lie, I’m a tad bit nervous! Not because I don’t feel confident enough in my work or painting in front a large crowd but I fear the feedback! Well, fear might be too harsh of a word. I dread the feedback because all I’m anticipating is negative stuff. But we’ll see what happens.

I was really fortunate enough to claim an indoor space which means I didn’t have to invest in a canopy tent, thank goodness! All I really had to purchase was some marketing material like business cards and such. I did have to buy another easel that was more transportable. Not sure how that’s going to go but I’m hoping that I won’t have a hard time assembling it on the day of.

I think I got everything packed and ready to head off in the morning, just some last minute items like my pastels and sealer but other than that.. it’s show time!

Tune in next week to find out how it went and if I received any of the negative feedback that I was for sure was going to receive. You might be surprised…

Cya next time!

Close-up of a red pencil writing 'stress' on paper, symbolizing pressure and creativity.

THE JOURNEY BEGINS

Hello and welcome back to my blog! This week has been somewhat stressful for me. It’s not like I’ve had a to-do list a mile long but it’s the self-doubt and mental anguish that I’ve been putting myself through that is getting to me!!! This week I have caught myself wondering, “what good is going to come from this anti-cruelty journey?” “Am I really going to make a difference?” “Whose really gonna give a crap about what I’m doing?” I can go on and on.. but, when this onslaught of negativity filled my mind, I had to put on the mental brakes for a second and answer each question I had for myself:

  1. “What good is going to come from this anti-canine cruelty journey?” My answer: I have no clue. All I can hope for is the best and hopefully something good comes from it.
  2. “Am I really going to make a difference?” My answer: I don’t know. Realistically? Probably not, but then again, if I can change the perspective of one person then I’ve accomplished something. All it takes is one person.
  3. “Whose gonna give a crap about what I’m doing? My answer: More than likely, no one. However, I can’t let that stop me. What really matters is the action I am taking by painting. I don’t care what others think of me and I know people are going to hate me for this but that’s ok. They can hate me all they want. This is me doing my part. It is my passion and I will pour every ounce of my heart and soul in it. People won’t care but that doesn’t mean that I should stop caring about the fight against canine cruelty. I’m just gonna paint until I don’t have to anymore.

After answering these questions, I came to realize that I had no true answers and I was just tormenting myself for no reason. I don’t know what’s going to happen on this journey, all I know is that I just got to paint as much as I can for as long as I need to. This is a life-long mission and I will be prepared for whatever comes my way, good or bad. Let the journey begin…

That’s all for this week! In next week’s post, I’ll give you guys a behind-the-scenes look on how I’m preparing for my first live advocacy painting demo at a local street fest. Cya next time!

I PAINT TO END CANINE CRUELTY!

Hi there! Welcome to the Bark Blog, where we’ll bark about all things canine. My name is Heleza, and I’m a Canine Activist Artist from Arkansas on a mission to end canine cruelty through art.

Some background on me, my journey started when I adopted my second rescue dog, Elza, four years ago. Emaciated at only 10 months old, she was dumped at the doorstep of a Good Samaritan’s home, where she was found and nursed back to health. After receiving vet clearance, she was put up for adoption, and I brought her home days later.

Since then, I have been improving my artistic skills and have made it my life’s mission to raise awareness on the issue of canine cruelty while spreading the message of compassion and empathy for our loving canine companions through art.

Follow me on this journey as I paint to bring awareness to the severity of canine cruelty and to encourage compassion, empathy, and change for these sentient beings by bringing their stories to light through art.

P.S. Don’t forget to subscribe to my newsletter if you haven’t done so! You get a freebie if you do! Cya there!