When Fear No Longer Gets the Final Say

There’s a moment that comes when excitement and nerves sit side by side, when you know something matters enough that fear doesn’t get to decide anymore. That’s where I found myself when I realized it was finally time to launch.

I’ve been scared to do this for more reasons than I can count. Fear of being seen. Fear of not being good enough. Fear that if I put my work out into the world, it might fall flat. But I also knew that if I kept letting fear freeze me in place, my business would never grow beyond the walls of my own hesitation.

So I took a breath and reminded myself: obedience matters more than comfort.

For a long time, launching felt like something I needed to “fix” before I could do it right. I told myself I wasn’t ready yet. That my work wasn’t polished enough. That the people complimenting my designs were probably just being kind. Perfectionism and overwhelm wrapped themselves around fear, and together they convinced me to wait.

But waiting doesn’t always mean trusting. Sometimes it just means hiding.

This website is my first. There wasn’t a polished version before it or a smooth, linear journey to get here. Instead, there were countless hours of trial and error, learning as I went, adjusting sections, tweaking layouts, and trying to get the colors to feel like me. Refining the site became one of the most frustrating parts of the process, wanting it to look just right while knowing I was still learning.

There were moments when I thought, I’ll just push it one more week. And then another. And another. Every time I felt that familiar nudge, God was quietly reminding me that growth doesn’t come from waiting until fear disappears, it comes from moving forward in spite of it.

I still plan to set up on Etsy, but this site is my home base. This is where my work, my words, and my heart live together. Some of the designs you’ll see here are deeply personal creations, while others were made using patterns created by others, shared with permission and respect. All of it represents hours of learning, creating, and trusting the process.

Throughout this journey, God has been the steady push behind every step forward. When doubt crept in, Scripture anchored me. “Greater is He that is in me…” and “I have not given you a spirit of fear…” became more than verses, they became reminders. And then there was the moment that felt like a quiet confirmation, when a customer told me my work looked professional. It may have seemed small, but to me, it felt like God saying, See? Keep going.

This launch is six months in the making. It’s my leap of faith.

What still feels scary? The same things many creatives wrestle with: what if no one likes my work? What if there are no sales? What if I misunderstood the path God had for me? But I’m learning that fear doesn’t disappear just because we obey; it simply loses its authority.

More than anything, I hope that when someone visits my shop or reads my words, they feel joy. InspireJoy is exactly that, my desire to spread joy through small, delicate work, even in the ordinary and mundane moments of life.

As I move forward, my goal isn’t perfection or rapid growth. It’s growth in my abilities. Growth in courage. And the freedom to create beautiful things and share them openly.

The promise I’m holding onto in this season is simple and steady:

“And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God…” ~ Romans 8:28

If you’re standing on the edge of something you know you’re called to do, but fear keeps whispering reasons to wait, hear this: take the step. Even if it’s small. Even if your hands shake. It will be scary, and it will be hard, but take courage. He is with you.

And sometimes, that’s all you need to finally begin.

Between the Booths: Lessons from Market Season

This year was my very first market season, and what a season it’s been. I started small, setting up at a local farmer’s market, not entirely sure what to expect but ready to step out of my comfort zone. It wasn’t what I imagined, but it turned out to be a season of learning, about business, about people, and honestly, about myself.

I’ve always been what I’d call an introverted extrovert. I enjoy connecting with people, but it can also leave me feeling drained. As a stay-at-home, homeschooling mom of three boys, I’ve grown used to spending most of my days surrounded by little voices, not adult conversations. So, walking into a market full of new faces, questions, and conversations was both energizing and overwhelming.

Still, I loved it, the fresh air, the hum of chatter, the colorful displays, the way the morning light hit my jewelry and made it sparkle. My favorite part was simply being there, surrounded by creativity and community, and watching people interact with my creations. I wasn’t looking for approval, but I did find myself wrestling with the need for validation, wondering if people liked my work, if my designs were good enough, if I belonged among other talented makers.

That’s something I’m learning to hand back over to God. My worth and purpose can’t be measured by how many people stop at my table or how many sales I make.

Behind the scenes, market life can be tough in ways people don’t always see. There were days I didn’t sell a single piece, not one. I never expected to sell out every weekend, but walking away with no sales at all was hard to accept. It made me question if I was doing something wrong, if I should change my designs, or if maybe I wasn’t cut out for this after all.

Each week, I’d find myself scrambling to restock or create something new, hoping that a different display or design might spark someone’s interest. I wasn’t chasing greed, I was searching for direction. For confirmation that I was on the path God wanted me to be on. But again, I found myself looking for validation in the wrong places.

Faith and motivation aren’t easy to hold onto when things don’t go as planned. There were weekends when the weather was bad, when I was tired from late-night prep, or when someone would walk into my tent, look around, and say something like, “Oh, I could make this.” Those moments stung more than I’d like to admit. My confidence wavered, and there were days I told myself, “I just won’t go this weekend.”

But then there were the other days, the good ones. The ones where I’d wake up with new ideas, new colors, new designs stirring in my heart. The days when I couldn’t wait to create something beautiful, when I felt that spark of joy again.

I’m still learning to lean into God’s plan, to measure success not in sales, but in obedience. He’s teaching me that consistency matters more than results, that the work of my hands has value even when the outcome doesn’t look the way I imagined.

I didn’t have one big “this is it” moment this season, no instant of confirmation that I’d arrived or that everything made sense. But I had several smaller “aha!” moments, and maybe those are even better.

I learned that procrastination only adds stress and that setting boundaries around my time is essential. I learned that I can’t (and shouldn’t) do multiple markets in one month, no matter how ambitious I feel. I learned that realistic expectations lead to peace, not disappointment.

Most importantly, I learned that God doesn’t measure success the way we do. He looks at faithfulness, at the willingness to keep showing up, to keep creating, and to keep trusting Him in the quiet in-between.

So, as I look ahead to the next market season, my prayer is simple:
That I’ll approach it with peace instead of pressure, with joy instead of comparison, and with faith instead of fear.

The good and the bad, the busy and the slow, it all becomes part of the story. And in every moment, I want to remember who gave me the hands to create in the first place.

Learning to Create My Own Designs

I’ve always loved learning from others, following tutorials, practicing patterns, and trying my hand at techniques shared by makers I admired. Whenever I used someone else’s design, I made sure I had permission, whether through a purchased pattern license or a tutorial freely offered by the creator. But deep down, I knew that someday, I wanted to take what I’d learned and create something that was completely my own.

That moment came when I stumbled across a pattern for a beautiful pair of Cherry Blossom statement earrings. I couldn’t believe it. Cherry blossoms have always been one of my favorite flowers, delicate, fleeting, and full of quiet beauty, and I had wanted to make something inspired by them for a long time.

At the time, I was still a beginner in a lot of ways, learning new stitches and refining my technique. But I decided to go for it anyway. Petal by petal, bead by bead, I began piecing the design together. When I finished that first pair, I was in awe, not just of the earrings themselves, but of the fact that I had learned something new through the process. That experience sparked something in me.

I realized I didn’t want to stop there. I wanted to create an entire collection, a series of floral-inspired jewelry pieces that felt personal, purposeful, and uniquely mine. But I also knew I didn’t want to use someone else’s pattern for my first collection. I wanted to design from the heart.

So out came my trusty notebook, the same one that holds half-finished sketches and random ideas, and I started researching flowers. I remember scrolling through images and being drawn to the bold color and gentle shape of violets in full bloom. That’s when the next piece of the series was born: the Violet Radiance Earrings.

I didn’t have fancy design software, just printable brick stitch graph paper and a set of colored pencils. Using a photo for inspiration, I started sketching, adjusting the petal shapes until they felt right. Then I got to work translating that drawing into beads. Somewhere along the way, I realized the pattern needed changes, the petals didn’t flow quite how I wanted them to. So, I paused, adjusted, and reworked it until everything aligned.

It wasn’t a perfect process, but it was mine.

The real breakthrough moment came when I held that finished pair in my hands. That was my “aha” moment, the point where I felt proud, grateful, and deeply aware that what I was doing wasn’t just crafting; it was creating art. I thanked God for giving me this gift, this joy of turning tiny beads into something that could capture the beauty He made in nature.

I fully believe that creativity is one of the ways we reflect the image of our Creator. Each time I sit down to design, I’m reminded that I’m not creating in isolation, I’m creating in partnership with Him. He inspires the vision; I just get to bring it to life.

Through this journey, I’ve also learned that growth stops when we stop. It’s true in art, in faith, and in life. If we give up too soon, when things feel hard or when progress seems slow, we miss the beauty of what’s blooming beneath the surface.

The Cherry Blossom earrings helped me grow in skill and technique, while the Violet Radiance earrings helped me grow as an artist. Each design, each stitch, each revision has reminded me that growth often looks like persistence, showing up, trying again, and trusting the process even when the outcome isn’t clear.

And isn’t that how faith works too?

Creating my own designs has taught me to trust God’s timing, to be patient with myself, and to remember that blooming takes time. Just like a flower grows quietly beneath the soil before it’s ever seen, so does creativity, and so does faith.

So, I’ll keep sketching, beading, and learning. I’ll keep growing through the process, one petal at a time. Because in every design, every challenge, and every small moment of progress, I see His hand, guiding, shaping, and reminding me that all beauty begins with Him.

Not Gonna Be Perfect and That’s Okay

Perfection is a funny thing. We spend so much of our lives chasing it, the perfect home, the perfect family, the perfect faith walk, and yet it always seems just out of reach. The world tells us that “perfect” means without flaw, that everything we do, say, or create should shine without a single mark or mistake.

For me, perfectionism has always shown up as the need for everything I put out into the world to be without flaw. My creative work, my family, even my relationship with God, I’ve wanted it all to look like I had it together. I thought if I could keep up the appearance of control, maybe that meant I was doing something right.

But that’s not how life works. And honestly, that’s not how God works either.

I can’t pinpoint one single moment when things fell apart, and I suddenly learned the lesson. What I remember instead are the countless times I felt exhausted from trying to maintain the public face I thought I was supposed to have. The times when my house was a mess, my kids were loud and wild, and I scrolled through social media wondering how everyone else seemed to be managing so much better than me.

That exhaustion, the constant striving to be “enough,” always led to guilt, frustration, and the quiet whisper of I’m not good enough.

Somewhere in the middle of all that striving, God started whispering back. Not with correction, but with calm. Not with judgment, but with peace.

There are two verses I lean on when my heart starts spiraling into that perfectionist mindset. The first is John 14:27:

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give unto you. Not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”

And the second is Mark 4:39:

“And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, ‘Peace, be still.’ And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.”

Those words remind me that Jesus didn’t just speak peace to the storm, He speaks it to us, too. He knew our hearts would wrestle with fear, control, and striving. And still, He offers us His peace, not the kind the world gives, the kind that depends on everything looking “just right,” but a peace that stills the storm within us.

I’m still learning to let go of the need to be perfect. It’s an ongoing process. I’m learning that I’m not always going to make the right choices, not as a wife, not as a mom, not as a sister or daughter. But His grace is enough. I’m learning to rest in that truth, to embrace the fact that I’m not perfect, but He is, and He’s got me.

If I could sit across from someone who feels like they’re failing because they can’t get it all right, I’d tell them this: Don’t buy into the lie that you’ve got to have it all together. Even when you aren’t perfect, you still have value, deep, God-given value that no one can take away.

It’s okay to stumble. It’s okay to grow slow. It’s okay to have days when the best thing you can do is breathe and whisper, “Lord, I’m trying.”

God isn’t finished with you. He’s not looking for perfection; He’s looking for presence. He doesn’t expect flawlessness; He asks for faithfulness.

So, stop striving for an unattainable version of perfect. Instead, learn to thrive in the very flaws that remind you of His grace. Because when you release the need to be perfect, you make room for peace, the kind that only He can give.

From Hobby to Business: The Learning Curve

Most of my creations were never meant for sale. They were made for the women in my family, my mom, my sister, my nieces, little tokens of love that carried stories and memories. Starting a business was the furthest thing from my mind. I had always heard the saying, “If you want to hate a hobby, just turn it into a job.” And for a long time, I believed it.

I was afraid that if I tried to make a business out of something I loved, I’d lose the joy in it, that it would start feeling like work instead of worship. But over time, I realized I’d been looking at it from the wrong point of view. What if this wasn’t just my idea? What if this was something God had been preparing me for all along?

I can’t say with certainty that this is one hundred percent the plan God has for me, but I do believe He planted this love of beadwork in my heart for a reason. The desire to create didn’t come from nowhere, it grew, little by little, until it became something that felt purposeful. And when my boys started growing more independent, it felt like God opened a window.

While we still homeschool, they no longer need me sitting right beside them every moment. Suddenly, I found myself with small pockets of time, moments I hadn’t had in years. And I asked myself, Why not use this time to create something that could also bless our family? Why not let God use the work of my hands in a new way?

That realization didn’t make the transition easy, though. If I had to name one of the hardest parts of shifting from hobby to business, it’s time, my time, my family’s time, God’s time. When it was just a hobby, I could pick up my beads whenever I wanted, make something here or there, and call it a day. But turning it into a business meant learning discipline, creating schedules, setting goals, and staying consistent.

And let’s be honest… I haven’t been on time for anything since I left the military thirteen years ago. Add in procrastination and the unpredictable rhythm of family life, and you can imagine how that’s going. Some days I feel like I’m thriving; other days, I feel like I’m treading water. But I’m learning that both days are part of the process. Growth doesn’t happen all at once, it happens quietly, in persistence and prayer.

Even now, I’m still learning how to balance it all. I truly believe my creativity and imagination are divine gifts from our Divine Creator, but I also wrestle with doubt. There are moments when I question whether my work is good enough or if anyone will even like it. It’s humbling to admit that. But I’m learning to let my faith lead the way, to create not for approval, but out of obedience. My prayer is that everything I make will reflect His goodness and be guided by His hand.

If I could speak to anyone standing where I once stood — afraid to take the next step, uncertain about whether your dream is “enough”, I would tell you this:
Be strong and courageous. He has overcome the world.

We were not created to please others. When we chase their approval, we lose sight of the person God made us to be. But when we create from a place of faith, trusting that He can use even our small beginnings, we find peace in the process.

I’m still learning, still fumbling through time management and self-doubt, still figuring out what it means to build a business while staying rooted in grace. But I know this much: every time I sit down to create, I feel His presence. And that’s how I know I’m right where I’m meant to be, learning, growing, and trusting Him with the work of my hands.

Choosing Joy: The Story Behind InspireJoy Studios

When I first started my creative journey, I didn’t have a grand plan or a clear name that reflected what I wanted to build. My first business name, Memorable Moments Market, came from a random name generator and honestly, it never quite fit. It felt like I was trying to live up to a name that didn’t speak to my heart.

But InspireJoy Studios? That name was different. It came from a few different places of inspiration, one being “joy.”, the For King & Country song that always lifts my spirit, and this quote by Henri J.M. Nouwen: “Joy does not simply happen to us. We have to choose joy and keep choosing it every day.” That statement hit home for me. Then came Scripture like Hebrews 1:3, “The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being…” and Joshua 24:15, “Choose you this day whom you will serve… as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.”

It all connected. Joy isn’t something that just happens; it’s a daily choice. We can wake up and let the day control us, or we can wake up and say, “This is the day that the Lord has made; I will rejoice and be glad in it.”

Not every day is perfect. Some mornings, I wake up and the best I can do is keep everyone alive and that’s okay. But on the days when I choose joy, everything shifts. I start to notice beauty in small things, grace in the chaos, and purpose in creating. Over time, I realized that this was what InspireJoy Studios was truly about: encouraging others to live fully, to thrive instead of just survive, and to find joy in the act of creating and being created.

There wasn’t one defining moment when I suddenly knew this was more than a hobby. It was more like a slow unfolding, a quiet realization that God had woven creativity into my design from the start. I’ve always loved making jewelry and experimenting with new techniques, and each piece tells its own little story. My Solar Pop dangle earrings were inspired by bright colors and bursts of light, while my softer, neutral-toned pieces reflect calmness and growth. Some designs speak to the fun, bold side of me; others reveal the peaceful maturity that’s come with time.

And through it all, I’ve learned that creativity isn’t just a pastime, it’s an act of worship.

My faith, much like my creative journey, moves through seasons, some strong and steady, others quiet and flickering. Yet even in the quieter moments, I see God’s beauty in the everyday: the shimmer of beads, the color of thread, the joy that comes from finishing a piece that makes someone smile. Whether it’s a simple pair of earrings or a statement design like my Cherry Blossom earrings, my goal remains the same, to capture glimpses of God’s creation through my hands.

Some people paint. Some take photos. I work with beads. And through them, I hope to remind others that beauty and joy are always within reach, even in the smallest details.

InspireJoy Studios isn’t just about jewelry. It’s about faith, creativity, and the everyday choice to reflect the radiance of God’s glory through the things we make and the lives we live. Every piece I create is a quiet reminder that joy is found in choosing Him daily, in the mess, the making, and the moments that shape who we’re becoming. My hope is that as you follow along this journey, you’ll be inspired to find joy in your own everyday moments, to create, to grow, and to see God’s hand in the little things that make life beautiful.