There are some questions I get asked a lot, and one of them is this: What did you do before you were an artist? Well, as many of you know I was a freelance writer in the decade and a half leading up to my full-time art career, and actually I still write quite a lot. I’ve just branched out to selling art as well as writing.

Back to the original question, I did a lot of things, mostly working in marketing for various companies over the years. In the short video in this Instagram post, I even share what I did as my very first job. (I bet you will never, in a million years, guess what it is!)

If there is a theme for this set of Instagram posts, it is this: Real life happens behind the scenes. You see a lot of pretty posts on Instagram from artists, but behind the scenes we are all working hard to make a living, or we’ve got side gigs, or we’ve worked for years doing other things… in other words…. real life exists beyond the “pretty and perfect” you might see on social media.

You guys, let’s talk about social media. Everything we see on social media is something someone wants us to see. But there are a lot of things people don’t share. So if you think your life isn’t as perfect as someone you see online, guess what? There’s isn’t perfect, either! Everyone has struggles and we all have different ways of dealing with them. __________________ Some people put their struggles out there online and you might think their whole life is one challenge after another, while someone else will try to keep it positive online, but behind the scenes, they are dealing with a lot. ________________ Social media is GREAT. I love it for sharing my art and poetry and for connecting with all of you. But I also know that the best way to get to know someone is by being involved, seeing them in person, talking with them directly and especially hearing their voice. Nothing replaces human contact. ❤

A post shared by Cherie Burbach (@cherieburbach) on Jun 22, 2018 at 9:33am PDT

I get asked all the time, what did you do before you were an artist? I started work while I was still in grade school, cleaning the operating rooms at a hospital. (Yep, really!) And I worked in marketing for a couple decades, I worked as a freelance writer for a decade and a half (and worked for places like the NY Times/About.com, NBC, Christianity Today, and many many cool places) and now, I’m an artist and I find that everything I’ve done in all these jobs has given me opportunities to learn and grow. ________________ What’s been your favorite job? Is it what you’ve always wanted to do?

A post shared by Cherie Burbach (@cherieburbach) on Jun 29, 2018 at 11:27am PDT

When you’re struggling, it is difficult to thank God and see Him still there working for your good. But He is. I know this now. ____________ Even though the dark years are behind me my life is full of hardships and great blessings. ____________ Yours probably is, too. I have pondered my life and wondered what it would have been like without the childhood trauma, but looking at things that way gives an incomplete picture. I am the person I am because of every moment before. You, too. ____________ So don’t wish away the past. Accept that wherever you have been, God was there, too. You might not understand the reason things happened or didn’t happen. Some things are just too profound for our minds and hearts, and only God knows the complete picture. ??

A post shared by Cherie Burbach (@cherieburbach) on Jun 24, 2018 at 6:04am PDT

At a time when kids programming was all about fast and loud and talking down to children, Mister Rogers show stood out. He was about kindness, self-worth, and bringing light to the darkness. I loved this movie. I am so glad he continues to be honored and valued as the benevolent force he was. #misterrogers

A post shared by Cherie Burbach (@cherieburbach) on Jun 24, 2018 at 4:34pm PDT

To pay attention, this is our endless and proper work. ~Mary Oliver

A post shared by Cherie Burbach (@cherieburbach) on Jun 25, 2018 at 5:29am PDT

“I think that you’ve got to make something that pleases you and hope that other people feel the same way.” ― Thomas Keller

A post shared by Cherie Burbach (@cherieburbach) on Jun 27, 2018 at 5:37pm PDT

Craft fairs can be long days that start early in the morning and often involve hopes and prayers for good weather and no mosquitoes. Please, no mosquitoes. And you sweat and lift heavy things all in an effort to make your booth pretty and present your artsy goods to the public. __________________ Despite all the negatives that can happen with craft fairs, they are actually quite valuable for an artist to do once or twice or a hundred times. I’ve been doing craft fairs for a couple years now, and on my blog today I'm sharing a few things I learned. ___________________ https://cherieburbach.com/2018/06/28/benefits-of-doing-craft-fairs/

A post shared by Cherie Burbach (@cherieburbach) on Jun 28, 2018 at 6:14am PDT