The Gift of Gratitude

I love to watch people’s reactions when they first encounter Coloratura. Expressions range from confusion, wonder, glee, amazement, skepticism…I even saw ‘mild disgust’ this weekend.

My favorite reaction: gratitude. I’ve received an overwhelming amount of gratitude from complete strangers: “Thank you for creating this” and “Thank you for sharing this!” I am oh-so-very thankful for just these kind words of support, so I’m truly amazed when people decide to show their gratitude in other ways.

Sometimes they gift me the paintings they created with Coloratura. I keep every single one and I treasure them all. I’ve also received other works of art: tiny origami sculptures, tasty baked goods. crepe paper flowers…all given out of love and support.

At First Friday this past weekend, I received my first monetary donation. One young woman enjoyed playing with Coloratura so much, she insisted on paying me! I was absolutely floored. With the exception of two local grants I received last year, the majority of costs for this project have come out of my own pocket. I have concrete plans for monetizing Coloratura, but those plans are still a ways off. It was so heart-warming to meet a stranger on the street, share my vision with them, and have them understand it and want to invest in it.

Developing Coloratura has been an incredible journey, equally amazing and terrifying all at once. I’m so glad to know that I’m not alone in my journey and that there are people who are cheering me on every step of the way.

Thanks to everyone who came out to First Friday @ The Sundry this past weekend! Check out some fantastic videos below: