Tag: quindu creations

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I’m back! And there’s a lot to do…

Good morning, friends!

It feels like it’s been a hot minute since I’ve been around and I’m so beyond excited to get back to work this week! For those that don’t know, I am in the Air Force Reserve as well and there are times that I have to just disappear for that. Though I can never say exactly what is going on or when it’s happening, you can all assume that if I’m ever randomly quiet, that may be the reason why.

That being said, I’m so excited to get back to it today! I’m still away from home and won’t be back to the studio until tonight, but thankfully I brought supplies with me and am able to work on my way home today.

I feel like there is so much to catch up on, however. Even just being gone for a week makes things crazy. Followers drop cause I haven’t been consistently posting, shop order pile up (which is a good thing), and I haven’t been able to create any new content so I feel as if I have nothing to post about. It’s rough for business when this happens, but I do what I can.

I also feel as if there is a lot to tell you all. I have many new shop additions and announcements, but I haven’t gotten everything ready yet so I’m going to have to wait a little bit as much as it’s killing me. Once I get back to the studio and get settled again, I should be able to fill you in.

In case you missed it, even though I was gone, I had a video all scheduled to upload and it did go up on Friday. Check it out if you missed it! I’ll leave the link here.

Well, that’s the latest and greatest, friends. Thanks for reading as always. I know this is another short one, but I hope to catch up with you all! A week feels like an eternity.

Have an awesome week, everyone! Let’s crush it!

XOXO,

Q

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Mothers Day Sale!

Hello, friends. I hope you all had a fantastic holiday weekend! This blog is going up a lot later than usual as its already after 2:30 pm! I find myself feeling a bit tired and groggy today so I’ve been a bit slower than I usually am. This is always the case for me whenever it rains. I think I may have been a cat in another life, I swear. We can talk about that another time, though. Personally, I had taken the last few days off of social media and had completely unplugged from my phone. It was really nice to just use a few days to spend time with my family and getting some much needed R&R.

I’m back at it today, though and have spent the day painting and working on some shop updates. I’ve got a few new items that will be added to the shop soon (within the next month?) and am hammering out all the details as far as that goes, so stay tuned for that!.

As far as announcements go, I wanted to let you all know that next week I will be out of town again and will have less studio time. I still anticipate the regular upload schedule, but I don’t think there will be much opportunity to paint. More to come on this. Also, in honor of this painting being shown in the ArtWorks Gallery exhibition in Eagan, MN, I decided to make “Escort” available as a full size 16″x20″ poster. The image is a little darker and sharper than the original, but it is still beautiful as a large gloss poster. It was sort of a test image so I only ordered 5 of these. Quantities are limited, so be sure to snatch one up quickly if you’re interested!

I also decided to hold a Mother’s Day sale in my shop for 15% off until May 13th. Take full advantage and get it at a discount while you can. You can use the code: MOM15 to redeem.

I hope you all have a productive and inspired week!

Xoxo,

Q

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From Skepticism to Getting Paid – My Personal Struggle with Money

You guys, I’m so happy I could cry right now. Seriously. I’m almost in tears.

Today I got my first decent paycheck from Young Living and it couldn’t have come at a better time. Honestly, when I first decided to join and say ‘yes’, I truly had no idea if I would be able to make any money from it. I had done network marketing in the past and never made a dime (granted I did quit early on and didn’t have my heart in it as I do with Young Living). I felt God’s hand leading me in this direction and I followed. I took a leap of faith and after checking my bank account and seeing the money added in just now, I couldn’t be happier that I did it.

Since I’m just getting started out in this business, it really isn’t a lot compared to how much my leaders are currently making. Not even close. It may not be able to supplement income just yet, and you may think it’s not much at all. That’s beside the point, though. It’s a lot to me and it is something I am so thankful for and really helps us out this month. It was a boost that I have been needing.

I really want to share something with you guys and it’s very personal. This whole post is personal, but it needs to be shared. I want you guys to know and feel my authenticity through the screen. When I first heard about Young Living, I was interested in the toxin-free products and their versatility. I had used oils in the past but for nothing other than diffusing and thinking that “they smell nice.” I had no idea you could ingest them, use them in place of cleaners, or even that you could opt for them instead of certain over the counter drugs and medications. I didn’t know they could be as powerful and potent as they actually are.

One day, I stumbled across a friend of mine posting all about Young Living on Instagram. We were never really close. Acquaintances, in fact. We were in basic training for the military together many years ago and I wish we had been able to get to know eachother better back then because she’s a real gem. She talked about the products and how they were helping her around her home as a mom of two little children. She talked about the health implications of “normal” products that we often buy in stores without realizing. She diffused oils, cleaned with this magical “Thieves” cleaner that I kept hearing about and lastly, I saw her grow and she talked about her promotions and how she was changing her family’s lives with the income she was making through the business opportunity with Young Living.

I’m always skeptical of mlms and people’s success stories with them and always thought they just “got lucky” and that it was all some scam. I think that is a very natural assumption in this day and age, but that topic is for a whole other post. Actually, I did a blog about network marketing and will link it here if you’re interested in that. Anyway, I was happy for her and that she was doing so well, but every time I would stumble across her feed, I would stop and wonder “what if?” and it was a feeling that tugged on my heartstrings for weeks before I decided to actually message her.

I used to make pretty decent money when I was working as a server. Earning tips made all the difference and I was so used to always having loads of cash on me. It may not have been enough to where I wasn’t budgeting and simply buying anything I wanted; I wasn’t rich, but we never had to worry about having the lights shut off. Money was good but I HATED my job and how it was affecting every aspect of my life. I knew God created me to do something more than something that made me completely miserable every day. I knew this because I knew I couldn’t effectively serve Him while my mind and body was in that state. He created me for a purpose and that just wasn’t it.

When I decided to start listening to Him and had gotten fed up with the way things were, I decided to start my own business using my brand, QuinDu Creations that I had started back in 2015, about 3 years prior to this moment. I decided it was time to turn my life around and wanted to run at my dream career of being an artist. That’s when I started my self-employment journey. I started this blog, started learning how to design and edit my website, started a YouTube channel, and started consistently posting to social media and began sharing my journey with the world and everyone I knew.

Obviously, getting started with any business is tough as you are starting out and I made almost nothing since I began this journey about 7 months ago. Yep. I said it & there it is, so you can stop wondering now. I’ve worked tirelessly, almost daily, for almost no profit. I’ve had a few sales here and there, but not enough ever count on a monthly basis and not enough to cover even half of my minimum wage paychecks that I used to think of as “bonus money.” This wasn’t surprising though. I knew it would be this way until I got my feet on the ground and I knew it would be hard. We cut back in a LOT of areas to make up for the change in household income and I’ve learned to live minimally. There hasn’t been any extra willy nilly spending and I don’t buy things just because I want them anymore. It’s been bare necessities and we’ve pretty much cut out any extra curricular activities from our calendar. Eating out had become a rare luxury and even certain food items have become a luxury that we would only get every once and a while as a treat. Hello, vegan-labeled snack foods.

I’m not telling you guys all of this to make you feel bad for me or to admit that I had made a mistake in leaving my old job. I want to tell you the exact opposite. The career change has been an amazing thing for my family and has taught us humility and how to budget our money. I’ve also learned a thing or two about minimalism and have found that having less and buying less actually makes me happier. Happiness doesn’t pay the bills, however, and that’s the cold hard truth. There were many times where I thought about getting another part-time job to contribute more, but that would have been like going back in the other direction I had just turned away from.

So why exactly am I telling you this? It’s because I want you to see where I’m coming from. After hearing Beka’s testimony, I had found myself thinking about Young Living and the business more and more. What was holding me back? Money. Skepticism. The fact that I had failed participating in my other network marketing business in the past. Originally, I just wanted to start a journey to a cleaner life and start using the oils and products. I had no interest in pursuing it as a business, but now that was all I could think about. I am so passionate about my work as an artist. I love painting and creating and it will always be my dream-but what if this was a way I could start a cleaner, healthier lifestyle while also earning some extra income to put into my bills AND my business?That was when the gears really started turning and I had finally decided to reach out and message her.

Fast-forward 3 months and you will find that my world has completely changed. Most of my household items are being swapped out for ones where I know and understand all of the ingredients listed. I’ve been introduced to so many different products I now swear by and order on a regular basis. I have been using my creativity to decorate the house with oils and all sorts of Young Living displays (its more fun than it sounds). I have fun making DIY versions of my old beauty products and perfumes. I also enjoy that I now make even less trips to the store-a MAJOR plus when you work from home and live 30 minutes from a decent shopping center. Another bonus point for less impulse buying at stores like Target (though, Target, I do love you). I have also been able to start sharing my Young Living journey with my family and friends and have shared all my amazing experiences with one of my oldest and closest friends who now works this business alongside me.

It all may not seem like much to you, but to me and my family, IT IS EVERYTHING. I share this with you today because I know the misconception of mlms and I know they have a VERY bad reputation. I’m sharing today from my heart as a woman that has been struggling with money but still had the guts to start her own business despite all of the negativity and the nasty stigma put against her. Not all mlms are “scams” and not all people treat the people they interact with as mere dollar signs. We do benefit, but that is a mutual interaction.

If you can relate with my story today, I truly hope you reach out to me. Not because I will gain something from you, but because I want to help you. Genuinely. I’ve shared what this business has done for me and my family so far and I am only going up from here through God’s grace and blessing. If you want to learn more, check out my other blogs or privately message me on my Instagram oils account.

Thank you for reading and God bless.

Xoxo,

Q

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My Patreon Account & New shop listings.

Hey, friends! Recently, you may have noticed that I added a few new things to the shop! This wasn’t the plan but a girl’s gotta start bringing in some extra $. Here’s the scoop:

I have been stocking up on these postcards and other fun extras to be used as rewards for my different tiers for my Patreon account. If you don’t know what this is, I’ve added the link here but it’s basically an online platform where people can support creatives in all sorts of lines of work. When creating an account, you can decide what you want your different reward tiers to be and what you would want to charge the patrons that are interested in that tier. This can always be customized and changed as time goes on.

You can think of it as an online monthly subscription plan to whatever creator catches your eye. A potential patron can view the different subscription plans and decide which one suits their likes and needs more appropriately. Subscriptions can be cancelled anytime without fees or implications. Many YouTubers and artists rely on this platform to make a living. Patreon does take a small percentage of the monthly commitment, of course, but it can be very helpful in planning out finances when patrons pledge to a monthly reward tier.

For me, for example, my first tier is only $1 and gives access to almost all online content, photos, videos, tutorials, etcetera, that I would post on my page. I also offer the option to participate in a monthly drawing challenge. Draw this in your style has become very popular I’ve noticed, especially on Instagram and what I’ve been doing is similar. I’d simply upload a rough outline sketch of one of my pieces and challenged my patrons to finish the piece and re upload the image on my page. This would include a monthly shoutout on IG/Facebook to all those that participated. Who doesn’t want a little extra publicity these days?

The next tier I have available is $10 and that gives you everything the first tier had to offer plus a new 4x6in postcard delivered every month. Each tier always includes the rewards that come in the previous tier so the deals always get better as you pay more (like many business out there). Plus, with each tier I offer a lifetime shop discount to say thank you. Just like with the rewards, the higher the tier that a patron might choose, the higher the discount would be.

The next tier is at $25 and would consist of everything offered by the first two tiers plus a surprise art box (prints, stickers, etc.). The last two tiers are a commissioned work at $250 and finally an original featured painting at $500. These are the paintings I feature on my YouTube channel every month as speed paintings.

This is a very helpful way for a lot of artists and people who do creative work to make a steady, more reliable income every month. As an artist who runs a small shop, it’s hard to tell what I’m going to be making every month especially since I don’t offer prints just yet. Why are fine art printers so expensive? Originals are also more expensive so the chances of those selling out right away are also pretty slim-when you’re first starting out, that is. I’m sure you can all see the dilemma there when trying to make a living.

This is why Patreon has been SO important to me and has been a main focus of mine. However, it’s still crickets over there, unfortunately, and after 6 months of being active and getting in the routine of posting on there regularly, I realized that I’ve been putting so much love, work, and effort into a seed that hasn’t shown any signs of sprouting just yet. I just recently decided that I would start focusing my attention more on other things and areas that I have been neglecting. It’s hard spending all your time and creative energy on something that no one sees. I don’t have any plans on quitting or deleting my Patreon account, don’t get me wrong. I’m simply just saying that I’m going to be taking a little break from it. I get notified when a new Patron has pledged to me and until then, I’m probably not going to do much with my account. I may post a few times a month to keep it updated, but until there are actually patrons over there, I’m shifting focus towards my shop.

All that being said, this is why you see all of these new postcards added to the shop! It’s been nice because since I’ve added them, I’ve been receiving a lot more orders and am actually starting to make some extra moolah. I’ve said it on my Instagram stories before, but I’m currently saving up for a fine art printer so that I can offer more variety in my shop such as high quality prints of different sizes.

If you guys haven’t seen the new products, check them out! I’ve got a lot to do today so I am going to get right to it now. Have an amazing week, everyone and keep doing what you do!

Xoxo,

Q

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Art Works Gallery Exhibition

The last several days have been very busy, but today I’m back in the studio! Before I get started tackling my “to-do” list, I wanted to write you all and give you a quick summary of the weekend!

Last night was the opener for the Art Works Gallery exhibition:

“More than the Sum of Its Parts.”

This gallery is located in Eagan, MN, and is still relatively new. I was very excited when they invited me to be one of their featured artists!

I have some footage from the opener and will be editing and uploading a vlog onto my YouTube channel this Friday! Subscribe if you haven’t already!

There were many other beautiful pieces and talented artists, and I was very happy with how well “Escort” and “Taken Under Wing” fit in with the theme!

Both pieces are still currently available and are going to be featured in the exhibit until May 24th.

SO much love to this beautiful spirit, Jessica Madison, that stopped by to show support! She definitely made my night. She has been my art muse for the longest time before I decided to become a full-time artist and happens to be the tattoo artist that started my beautiful leg piece (that still needs to be finished. Please check out her work and show her some love!…Oh, & be sure to look forward to a collab event this fall. So excited to be working together later this year.
 ♥

Xoxo,

Q

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Gallery Exhibition: More Than the Sum of Its Parts

Good morning, readers!

It’s a new month! I hope you all have your goals set in place for the month to keep your productivity up high! As for myself, I’ve got a really short week this time due to appointments, drill weekend, and the like, so I want to get to the nitty gritty right away this morning as I have a LOT to do!

If you received my newsletter that went out earlier this morning then you will have gotten the announcement and details on my participation in an exhibition for Art Works Gallery in Eagan, MN. If you haven’t already done so, make sure to subscribe to my mailing list here! I send out monthly newsletters and notifications of sales, pop-ups, and other events. Be sure to add your birthday so that you can get a yearly birthday surprise in the mail as a thank you!

I announced on my Facebook and Instagram pages that I got selected to participate in a curated show with Art Works Gallery in Eagan! These two pieces will be featured in that show and I will be there opening night from 5:30 – 6:30 pm! If you are available, I’d LOVE to see you guys out there! Opening night is free till 6:30, so if your local, be sure to come on out!


Upcoming program Cycle 2 is centered around the idea that Art Works is more than the sum of its parts. The artists that work here are challenged to be more than they could be alone.

Art Exhibition Opening events are ALWAYS FREE! Come and meet artists and talk with them about the creative process. Reception is being held from 5:30-6:30 p.m.

Live music 7:00-8:30 p.m. by: The Selby Avenue Syncopators
Purchase event tickets $8-$10.

The Selby Avenue Syncopators perform early jazz and blues known as Dixieland, hot, and traditional jazz from many eras–ragtime to World War I to Prohibition to the Great Depression to World War II and into the middle of the 20th century. Enjoy the music of the Original Dixieland Jazz Band, the New Orleans Rhythm Kings, Jelly Roll Morton, King Oliver, Spencer Williams, W. C. Handy, Ma Rainey, the Louisiana Five, Kid Ory, Duke Ellington, Zep Meissner, Jimmy McPartland, and many more. The group includes vocals, clarinet/tenor sax, trumpet, trombone, tuba, banjo, and drums.


The exhibit will run through May 24th if you’d like to see these two pieces in person. They are both still available, but won’t process for shipping until after the exhibition on may 24th.

That’s all I have for announcements at the moment! I hope you guys all have an amazing week! I’ll keep in touch!

Xoxo,

Q

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Brand Makeover. You Can Do It All – If You Want.

Good Morning, Readers. ♡

I just have a quick update this morning as I’ve been itching to get started on a new painting. So far this morning, I’ve been working on some much-needed brand-updating for my website, social media, and youtube channel. I’ve been feeling like I’ve spread myself across so many different niches and it’s been hard getting the right balance. I have been an advocate for the belief that you can create your brand/business revolving around more than just one thing, but everyone seems to like to promote the opposite.

I see so many artists and other accounts on social media of varying niches and styles and it seems each one always likes to keep their interests solely on that one thing with all other interests separate. I’ve tried this with creating a separate essential oils, art, and lifestyle accounts. None of them have worked for me in the past because I had always felt as if I had left something, a part of me, out. I’ve just found it discouraging eventually and lost the joy in sharing my posts on those accounts. I don’t know if any of you have realised it or not, but recently I have been posting content on my Instagram (among other) account that is purely genuine and fits within all my interests. It may not gain me the most followers, but it shows everyone that does check in who I am in a nutshell.

Doing this, I feel whole.

I’m not saying that one way is better than the other- we all need to do what is best for us and fits our individual needs. That is exactly why I updated my YouTube banner to the featured image on this post.

Think of it as another way that I’m just genuinely being myself and sharing who I am with you all.

I am an artist.

I am also a christian,
a wellness advocate, and a wife.

“Stand up tall, little flowers. Be your shining and beautiful self. Don’t compare yourself to the other flowers around you. We’re all unique and beautifully made.”

It’s so much more fun being authentic. Have an amazing week, everyone.

Xoxo,

Q

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Travel. Just Go.

Hello friends! It’s Thursday! I’ve got my art and wellness YouTube videos all prepared to upload for the week! I’m feeling accomplished and was going to start a painting after finishing up all my other tasks of the day, but my body is so tired from my run yesterday that I decided to lay back and write this evening. I couldn’t bear to sit at the easel feeling as sore and achy as I do now! You better believe I’m diffusing some oils and using some relaxing roller blends. I’m just relieved that spring is FINALLY starting to arrive in Minnesota and that my normal outdoor runs can commence once again. It’s always difficult starting over, however.

This morning I was going through my phone and found some old photographs of our trip we took to Japan last April. I can’t believe it’s already been a year almost. I’ve been reminiscing about what an accomplishment this was and I am still shocked to this day that this dream of mine was fulfilled after years of planning and longing to go. Read the caption below.

Ever since I was a teenager, I knew I wanted to travel. It was a dream of mine to go to Japan. I have always loved the culture and I told myself that one day I would make it happen. #throwback to last year when that dream came true. I’ve been manifesting my dreams and desires since I was a little girl. I’m not the biggest believer in the new-age theories about manifestation and the law of attraction. I’m not sure that if you just “put your dreams out into the universe” that you will be rewarded. What I do believe in, however, is hard work. I have a vision board at my desk next to my computer and I see my goals daily. I know that those dreams and desires wont come to me unless I put the time and energy into them. Slowly, but surely, I’ve been tackling the things off my list. The business I’ve dreamed about for the past 5 years is now officially official. I just opened my business checking account and lines of credit the other day. Starting my business didnt happen until I decided to work for it and make it happen. For today’s #throwbackthursday I wanted to recognize the feeling I had when I was in Japan with my husband and I felt the impact of hard work and commitment. Also, totally #notsponsored by #louisvuitton 😉

I wanted to elaborate a little on this post, which is why I’m here now. I truly believe that when we work hard at our dreams and refuse to give up on them, that amazing things can happen. I’m only six months into my full-time self-employment and I feel like I have learned a lot and come so far. I know there is still a long way to go with my artwork, brand, and business, but I feel confident that with time, I’ll get there.

There’s just something about being in another country that puts your life into perspective. The trip was so rewarding knowing that it was something I was constantly working towards. My husband and I are firm believers in the value of time and experiences over worldly possessions. Reaping the benefits of hard work really adds value to the whole process of working hard and sticking to your goals and dreams. Traveling to Japan was one of the most amazing experiences I’ve had in my life. Not that it’s a secret, but I also have a Travel Diary from this trip that I will be uploading onto my YouTube channel soon, hopefully. I’m so close to having it ready but need to find some footage of the last parts of the trip. Definitely subscribe to my channel and stay tuned for that. It’s going to be a fun one!

Perhaps I decided to write this as a reminder to myself in the future on those bad days where I feel as if I’m remaining stagnant in my career. We all need motivation from time to time and I hope my words are able to light a fire beneath you all!

Get out there and conquer your dreams!

Xoxo,

Q

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Cooling Things Down & My Current Commission

Monday has come again. It’s been awhile since I’ve felt this happy and at peace with myself and my art. Improvement really does happen naturally when you remain consistent and keep practicing. Lately I’ve just started going at my own pace again and it has been refreshing to say the least.

I’d been finding myself getting wrapped up in the whirlwind of schedules and weekly deadlines I had set for myself when it came to my blog. creating new artwork, and YouTube videos for both art and my Young Living business. When I first started this life of entrepreneurship and being a full-time artist back in September, I needed a structured daily schedule to keep myself occupied and to make sure I spent a good chunk of the day being productive rather than not knowing what to do with myself and my newfound freedom from my old 9-5. It worked really well for a few months and I have been very consistent and disciplined with my work schedule.

As time went on, however, I kept adding to my schedule and weekly routine and made changes as I saw fit. I spent nearly every waking hour of the day working and trying to get something accomplished. This has worked well because I naturally have a very strong work ethic, but I’d be lying if I said I hadn’t been losing a bit of momentum as of late. When we focus so much of our attention and energy on our work, it’s easy to be left feeling drained if not given ample amount of r&r.

I love my work, truly I do. I wake up every day excited to get to work and to see what the day will bring. The past few days I have started to slow things down again and have started tuning into my mental and creative needs. I hadn’t uploaded a video on YouTube purely for the sake of meeting my weekly requirement and it felt so good. I realised that I am in full control and that I have every right to give myself a break every now and then. I’m not saying that I’m done with my current content schedule and throwing it to the wind, but I’ve remembered that I’m the one that’s in charge here and that it’s not the end of the world if I miss an upload for the week. Forcing myself to create new content and videos purely for the sake of meeting a deadline only leaves room for rushed work and a lack of quality; neither of which I want my art to be associated with.

What inspired this change of pace? I’ve been working on a commission for an amazing client. The experience has been just what I’ve been needing and has been a great way to help remind me of why I started painting in the first place. I wanted to inspire people with my art and to bring something new into the world that others would value and appreciate in their own homes and spaces.

This piece is still in the works and most of it is still in the first layers, but I’m hoping to have it completed by the end of this week. I’ve been dabbling in colors and saturation that I haven’t dealt with for months and have been really enjoying the color palette. If you remember from about a month or two ago, I have been holding a resentment toward working on canvases due to a painting going wrong. This commission has also helped me to forgive myself for the mistakes I made at that time-to both accept and move on.


If any of you are interested in starting a commission with me, I’d be so happy to work with you. Please familiarize yourself with my commission terms and contact me when you are ready to get your custom art created.

If any of my fellow creatives out there have been feeling a similar sort of way, remember that first and foremost, in order to be productive and produce quality work, you need to be in the right headspace. Take care of yourself and your needs above all else and the creative work will follow-trust me. Take the time and remember why you decided to do what you do in the first place. We creative and artistic entrepreneurs are few in number because let’s face it, this is not easy work and there’s never a guaranteed or set income in the beginning. Because of this, it’s crucial for us to remember why we decided to take the road less traveled.

All in all, seek out your inspiration, remember why you started, and know that it’s okay to take a few steps back when you feel like your stuck. Take it from a workaholic, you need a break and there is nothing wrong with that. Thanks for tuning in today. You guys are all so amazing and I appreciate you so much.

I hope inspiration finds you all this week. As I always say,

keep creating.

Xoxo,

Q