Colorful Conversations with My Creator ✨
Cultivating What God Has Planted
Sometimes the most beautiful things in our lives don't need us to force them to grow... they simply need someone willing to faithfully care for them.
There Seems to Be a Theme...
One of my favorite parts about writing these blogs is realizing what God was teaching me after the week is already over.
During the week I'm usually just trying to keep up.
Packing.
Driving.
Painting.
Mentoring.
Trying not to melt in the summer heat.
😂
Then I sit down, look back over everything that happened, and almost every time I discover one thread tying it all together.
This week...
It was stewardship.
Not striving.
Not hustling.
Just faithfully caring for what God has already placed in my hands.
My Paint Babies
This week my dad and stepmom drove all the way to my storage unit to rescue several of my giant paintings.
I call them my paint babies.
People laugh when I say that...
But I mean it.
When I was pregnant with my twins, I remember wondering who they were going to become.
What would they look like?
Would they be adventurous?
Quiet?
Funny?
Kind?
There was so much anticipation wrapped up in not knowing yet.
Honestly...
Painting feels exactly like that.
Every time I stand over a blank canvas, I have absolutely no idea what's about to come out of me.
I stir the colors.
I pour the paint.
I move the canvas.
Then I wait.
Sometimes it feels like a giant colorful mess.
Sometimes...
Something beautiful begins to appear that I never could have imagined.
I'm not searching for a specific painting.
I'm searching for a feeling.
I simply trust that God will reveal something through me that's beautiful enough to make someone else smile.
Maybe that's why finding homes for my paintings matters so much.
They're precious to me.
Not because I made them...
But because I spent time wondering who they were going to become.
Watching my dad carefully wrap every canvas in blankets, beanbags, and tie-down straps before taking them home meant more than I can explain.
Years ago, I don't think my family really understood this dream.
Now they see its value.
They believe in it.
And in their own quiet way...
They're helping me protect it.
That kind of love doesn't go unnoticed.
The Little Invitations
One morning this week I dropped my daughter off at summer camp.
I fully planned on heading home.
I had a big weekend ahead and kept telling myself I needed to conserve my energy.
Then she smiled and asked,
"Mom... will you stay and face paint for the littles?"
😂
Well...
There went my plan.
I grabbed my face paints out of the car, threw together the quickest little design board imaginable, and spent the morning loving on a bunch of little campers.
Of course...
I couldn't help myself.
Everybody ended up getting red, white, and blue hair with glitter too.
Watching my daughter proudly introduce me to "her kids" made my mama heart so happy.
Sometimes the best memories aren't the ones we plan.
They're the little invitations we almost say no to.
I'm really glad I stayed.
Growing More Than Artists
Friday night at Hunter Valley Winery ended up being quieter than usual.
Instead of feeling disappointed...
It became a gift.
Riley and I had time to slow down, practice, and simply enjoy creating together.
Then Saturday brought Exton Community Day.
Six straight hours of face painting.
Kimmy's very first marathon.
Addalynn's one-year anniversary painting beside me.
Parents recognized them.
Complimented them.
Encouraged them.
I watched both girls stand just a little taller every time someone believed in them.
That's when I realized...
I'm not just teaching these girls how to face paint.
I'm teaching them confidence.
Kindness.
Resilience.
How to make every child feel seen.
The paint is simply the invitation.
The real masterpiece is the way people feel when they leave our chairs.
Deep Roots
Exton Community Day always feels a little like coming home.
It's back in Chester County...
Where Brooke Zook Art first began.
These are families I've known for years.
Kids who have grown up in my chair.
Parents who stop by every summer just to say hello.
Katie and the team at Chester County Parks & Preservation continue to welcome me back year after year, and I don't take that for granted.
Relationships like these aren't built overnight.
They're built one event...
One conversation...
One hug at a time.
Looking Ahead
As I packed everything away this weekend, another little thought kept tugging at my heart.
The weather is finally right.
The paint is mixed.
The canvases are waiting.
Two summers ago, this was the season when I disappeared into my little outdoor studio and created the paintings that eventually filled my Penn National exhibition.
Somehow...
It feels like it's time again.
This weekend I'll be back at Spooky Nook Sports, which honestly feels like a little gift.
No checking weather radar.
No worrying about thunderstorms.
Just people.
That extra breathing room also means I finally have enough margin to step back into the studio.
I have absolutely no idea what's about to come out.
And that's my favorite part.
If you'd like to follow along...
I think you're going to enjoy this next chapter.
This Week's Reflection
This week reminded me that growth rarely happens all at once.
It happens because someone keeps showing up.
Watering.
Encouraging.
Protecting.
Believing.
Whether it's a painting...
A child...
A friendship...
Or a dream...
The beautiful things in life grow because someone keeps tending them.
So here's the question I've been asking myself this week...
What has God already placed in my hands that's simply waiting for me to care for it?
Maybe it's a relationship.
Maybe it's your health.
Maybe it's someone who's quietly waiting for encouragement.
Maybe it's a dream you've been afraid to pick back up.
Whatever it is...
Don't rush it.
Just keep showing up.
God has a beautiful way of growing things we faithfully tend.
Until next week...
✨ Spread Joy. Shine Bright. Keep Sparkling. ✨
With love,
Brookie 🌻
