Today we’d like to introduce you to Sasha Blackburn.
Hi Sasha, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
It’s kind of a funny story how I got started. My daughter was 2 years old, and I drew and painted a Bubble Guppie for her. My husband thought it was really good, and him being the entrepreneurial spirit he is, he said I needed to try to make money doing art. I kind of dismissed what he said…lol… but kept it at the back of my mind. The truth is, I had always wanted to be an artist, so I prayed about it, but honestly didn’t really think about it anymore.
Two weeks later, I was invited to Painting With a Twist for my MIL’s birthday. I had never been there before and honestly didn’t even know it existed. Apparently, I painted well enough for the artist instructor to offer me a job. I totally thought she was just being nice and didn’t really mean it. She “must” say that to everyone, right? But it stayed at the forefront of my mind for 2 days. Then, I gave in and called. “What would it hurt to just simply call?” I thought. The owner Bethany said Katie, the instructor, wasn’t joking and that she told her about me. She wanted to meet with me and asked me to bring in some artwork to show her. Well. I didn’t have very much artwork to bring in, because I didn’t really paint. I was a mom, and life was too busy to do things like that.
I went in to meet with Bethany, and to keep things brief, I’ll just say that I got hired…by accident. I use that term loosely, because she will say it wasn’t by accident. But I know that she didn’t do a real and proper interview because her back sink was overflowing, and because any sane person wouldn’t hire me in a million years… because I don’t know how to paint, much less teach other people how to paint!
I walked out hired and scared to death. I just got accidentally hired at this place, and I’m an imposter, I don’t actually know how to paint, and now I’m supposed to somehow get on stage and teach other people how to paint. What am I going to do? I don’t even like people that much!
I am sitting in my car, literally crying, because I wasn’t sure what I was going to do. I’m freaking out. How am I going to let this lady know I can’t actually work there??? I am praying. And on the radio (I must have been listening to the Moody radio station), because at that precise moment, someone on the radio said, “God doesn’t call the equipped, but He equips the called.” …I don’t know, but in that moment, I knew that was for me! I knew I was supposed to work there and that I would somehow be okay. God was going to get me through. And He did!
I became an artist there. I learned how to paint. And no one knew otherwise. It’s like God allowed me to learn along the way, exactly what skills I needed to know, all in the right time.
I was an artist there for about 7 years, and when the studio came up for sale, I bought it. And that leads us to where we are today. I am still the owner, and have been for the past 4 years. It has gone by in a whirlwind. I love running the studio. It’s been incredibly rewarding, and I have been able to show others how important art is and how God is our Master Creator. He is the Master Artist of the universe!
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It has not been smooth at all. I didn’t know how to run a business when I bought the Painting With a Twist studio in Columbia. I bought the studio because after prayer and heavy consideration, I knew that’s what God wanted me to do. It has been one, of the two, hardest things I’ve ever done. Not in the sense that the work is hard. It’s not. It’s not hard at all, and it’s actually really fun. It’s balancing the time that is the hard part. I am a homeschool mom…a very involved homeschool mom. I’m also very involved in our church. I am a doer! And my plate just seems to stay overflowing. But the truth is, with my personality I’m not sure I would have it any other way. I have had to learn how to manage my priorities, and divide myself to the things that are important, and say no to the things that are “less important.” I also had to learn that there was only so much of me, and I had to be okay with what I just simply wasn’t able to give. I always try my best to keep my priorities in order and give the most of me to the things that are most important to me.
I was about 2 years in, and things were starting to get a little easier. I had developed a system that was working. I was able to meet my deadlines without constantly feeling like I was behind and things were looking up. And then my daughter got sick, and we started noticing a rash on her. I will fast forward this part to where we are now. For the last two years we have been on a journey of healing for my girl. Earlier I mentioned owning the studio was one of the two hardest things I’ve ever done, this is the other. Owning and managing a business WHILE being on this journey for my daughter. My daughter was just (as in this week her biopsy came back) diagnosed with chronic plaque psoriasis.
We knew she had a skin disorder going on. And we knew there were shots out there available for children with skin issues. But we also knew the side effects of things like this and so we started on a journey of trying to figure out what was going on, what was triggering her, and how to heal her body a much safer, more natural way. We have been to 9 different doctors and have been told probably 5 different diagnoses of what it was, each doctor being “sure.” We have tried all kinds of regimens, homeopathic options, muscle testing, different eating plans…all kinds of things, trying to heal her from the inside out, instead of just treating the symptoms. It has been incredibly time consuming as many of our regimens involve lots of different kinds of things, so many that sometimes it was incredibly hard to keep up with, and every regimen involving me putting a lotion of sorts on her 3 times a day, sometimes taking an hour or so. But, when it comes to our children, we will try anything and do anything to get them better.
The system for managing time I had developed before no longer worked. I literally had no time to get my work done. I had to find time where there was none in order to meet all of my deadlines, communicate with customers, and all else that is supposed to be done. This is a struggle I still face every day. It has gotten a little easier along the way because every morning I pray for the Lord to help me get done with the things I need to get done.
And that is also why I have the studio for sale. I just put it up about a month ago. It was a really hard decision, but I’ve prayed a lot about it, and I feel completely at peace. I have realized that I have done what I was supposed to. And God will bring forth someone else to take over and continue the legacy with the studio. And I can focus on my daughter and doing what I need to for her.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
We are Painting With a Twist! We are the art studio where anyone can come in and be an artist. This is what we are known for! You arrive at our studio to a blank canvas. There is an artist on stage that will walk you step by step through a painting, and at the end of the event, you will have completed your very own masterpiece. And trust me, you will have painted way better than you ever thought you could!
We provide a place where adults and kids alike can come and safely express who they are as an individual through the world of art. They can use art as a refuge, an escape, a getaway, as therapy, and as a safe haven. Because kids simply need that. Adults need that, too! Art provides that for people. Art allows kids to be themselves. Art allows us to do what we were created to do. We are created in the image of our Father (God), and so the need for us to be creative is instinctual. And when kids are given the opportunity to have art in their life while they are young, it helps them cope with the world around them and helps them figure out who they are and where they belong in the world.
We offer public classes nearly every day of the week, as well as private parties! Our art is fun and great as DIY decor and we also do specialized themed paintings, too! We also do a lot of private parties. You only need 8 people in order to book a private party with me, and the space is yours for 2 hours. You can bring in food, drinks, and you get to choose the painting your party will do! Our private parties include a lot of birthday parties, Christmas parties, bachelorette parties, team-building parties; we have had parties for all kinds of reasons, and some for no reason at all! Just people wanting to simply gather and do something fun together.
Art camps would be our specialty if we had one. They are a super fun time and we provide the best arts and crafts we can for them. I’m even working on a live action Disney princess coming in for our camp in June! Not all Painting With a Twist studios do art camps. But we do. It’s something I implemented when I became owner. I wanted to make sure kids got a chance not just to do art, but to truly learn what art is and from whom the gift of art actually came from, and why it’s so important for their developmental growth. And I have been able to do that. This is probably what I am most proud of.
Before we let you go, we’ve got to ask if you have any advice for those who are just starting out?
My advice would definitely be to make sure you don’t forget the “why.” Why you do what you do. We can quickly turn away from the point that matters and focus on the money, and a lot of times be discouraged by the lack thereof. But don’t forget what you are providing for your community. You’re not just your local art studio, but you’re there to provide a whole other world for some people. People’s lives are changed when art is introduced to them, and you can’t say that about every business.
Well, hmmm, anything I wish I knew when I was starting out??? Yes, a time management system that actually works…lol.
Time is the hardest commodity to come by. I have literally created some where there was none. Well, “I” didn’t, but God did. However, I think it was necessary for me not to know these things when I started. It’s not so easy to explain what I truly mean without it sounding so elementary. But I know the life lessons with the studio that I had to learn (a.k.a. struggles) were necessary for my growth and for me to be a better person and a better child of God. They are a part of God molding me as clay, into who He created me to be. And I am stronger today because of them. And I can better help my daughter know her struggles (which are much more than mine) are only going to make her stronger.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.paintingwithatwist.com/studio/columbia/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/twistcolumbiatn/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/paintingwithatwistcolumbia
