Maybe This Is What Roots Feel Like

Hi Friend! 💖

Something kind of wonderful kept happening at Kipona this weekend.

People kept coming back.

They would stop for hair tinsel, walk around for a while, and return wanting more.

Some came back the next day.

People I had met years ago found me again.

And over and over, I kept hearing some version of:

“This place has such a great vibe.”

And honestly?

I felt it too.

The Civic Club Garden Became Its Own Little World

I wasn’t sure what to expect because in previous years I had been closer to the regular flow of Kipona traffic.

This year, being tucked into the Civic Club Garden felt like it might be a gamble.

Instead, it became its own little world.

People lingered.

Families came back.

The vendors connected.

I made new friends.

It felt warm and local and strangely familiar.

One of my favorite little moments involved two girls who came over for hair tinsel.

One wanted two sections.

Her friend wasn’t interested.

They left.

Then an hour or two later, they came back. 😂

Now the friend wanted FOUR sections, and the first girl wanted two more.

Apparently, walking around feeling fabulous had changed the plan.

That made me ridiculously happy because the transaction was technically over.

They had already paid.

They had already left.

But the joy kept moving.

And they came back for more.

That happened in different ways all weekend, and it reminded me how much I love creating experiences people actually want to return to.

Artist Brookie Came Too

This weekend also felt different because I brought my paintings.

Not just sparkle.

Not just face paint.

Not just henna.

The art came with me.

And some of my paint babies found new homes.

One of the sweetest moments was reconnecting with my friend Rose, who I met at Kipona two years ago.

She had looked for me last year and was disappointed she couldn’t find me.

So when she saw me this year, she was genuinely excited.

And she ended up taking home one of my first Joy Bombs.

That felt really special.

A lovely couple from Palmyra ended up taking home several of my paint babies — a 12 × 16 rainbow swipe painting, a small sunflower, and one of my favorite prints.

But what stayed with me most wasn’t simply that they bought the art.

We stood there talking about parenting teenage daughters, life, faith, and our shared love of worship music. They even pointed me toward a Christian artist whose songs I already knew without realizing the faith behind them, and I’ve found myself listening to more of his music ever since.

I still wrestle with the battlefield of my own mind sometimes, and I’m learning that the more I intentionally bring God’s presence into those spaces — through prayer, people, music, Scripture, whatever He puts in front of me — the better.

So when God sends people into my booth who encourage me, point me back toward Him, connect with me, and then choose to bring my artwork into their home?

I do not take that lightly.

That is the part of selling art I’m beginning to understand differently.

It isn’t just:

“Someone bought a painting.”

It’s:

Something I made connected with another human deeply enough that they wanted to live with it.

And that is pretty incredible.

I signed up for this event fairly last-minute, and by then I had already installed several of my larger hero paintings in the little gallery I’m creating in my dad’s basement. Once I was standing inside my tent, I found myself wishing I had brought a few of them with me. They could have created a stronger focal point and helped draw people into the art.

And now I know something else for next time: I need more jellyfish. 😂

I only had one little jellyfish painting with me, and people kept being drawn to it. It made me realize how fun it would be to create a more immersive jellyfish experience — one big statement piece surrounded by lots of little jellyfish babies.

So for the Harrisburg Arts Festival next May, that is officially one of my goals:

Bring the big jellyfish.
Bring lots of jellyfish babies.
Build the jellyfish world.

One big hero painting that stops you.

Smaller originals around it.

Prints.

Stickers.

Thoughtful merchandise.

Everything tied back to the artwork and the Realms I’ve been building:

WONDER. GROW. FLOW. RISE. RADIATE.

It suddenly started making more sense in real life.

Riley Earned Her Professional Artist Badge

Sunday was busy, and thankfully Riley was there with me.

A customer asked for henna, and I decided it was time to see if Riley was ready to do it for a paying customer.

That can be a weird little terror barrier when you’re fifteen and still learning.

Making art is one thing.

Getting paid to make it feels different.

But Riley stepped up.

She did the work.

She got paid.

So as far as I’m concerned:

Professional artist badge unlocked. 😂

I gave her a raise.

And I am so proud of her.

She also shows up looking like she belongs in the Sparkleverse — pink hair, glitter kitty-cat ears, rainbow eyeshadow, little pink heart nose.

She brings such good energy, and I’m really grateful she’s part of my team.

My Body Was Empty. My Cup Was Full.

By Monday, I was completely done.

My body hurt.

My brain was barely forming sentences.

Everything inside me was saying:

Go back to bed.

But all my stuff was still sitting at a three-day festival.

So I remember thinking:

Lord, I do not have enough left for this. You are going to have to carry me.

And somehow, He did.

Through people.

The women vending around me were incredible.

They helped.

They prayed.

They listened.

They encouraged.

They carried things.

They made a physically exhausting weekend feel strangely warm.

One of my neighbors happened to be a neurologist who specializes in epilepsy, which felt especially meaningful considering what my family has lived through.

Others shared their stories, their kindness, their prayers, and their energy.

By the end, I kept thinking:

God sent me people.

Maybe This Is What Roots Feel Like

For a long time, part of me has still been pointed two hours east.

A lot of my old relationships and opportunities live there.

And I still love those people and places.

But lately I’ve been feeling a stronger pull to build deeper roots here.

I want to know the people in my community.

I want my kids to feel connected here.

I want to train young artists who can actually work with me locally.

I want familiar faces.

I want people to recognize me.

I want relationships where we see each other again.

And this weekend gave me a glimpse of that.

People came back.

Paintings went home.

New friendships formed.

A young artist leveled up.

Other women helped carry me when my body was done.

And for three days, I felt like I belonged exactly where I was.

Maybe that’s what roots feel like.

Not dramatic.

Not instant.

Just showing up long enough for people to come back.

Scripture I’m Carrying This Week

“Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.” — Galatians 6:2, NIV

That verse feels right.

Because sometimes God gives us strength.

And sometimes He gives us people.

And sometimes those are the same thing.

A Little Question for You

Where are you trying to build roots right now?

Who keeps showing up?

Who makes you feel a little more known, supported, or at home?

Maybe community isn’t something we find all at once.

Maybe it’s something we grow by showing up, loving people, and letting them love us back.

Where to Find Me Next

Come find me for face paint, henna, hair tinsel, sparkle, and all the colorful chaos. 💖

Until next time…

My body was empty. My cup was full.

With gratitude and a heart that feels a little more at home,
Brookie ✨

 

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