My Journey Thus Far : The First Four Years in Business

I discovered my talent for painting and photography during high-school, sharpening my skillset through various art classes. During college, I found my passion for the arts while majoring in art, dance and pre-medicine. My love for the fine arts was clear but I had already decided that medicine would be the track for me.

After graduating college, I was on track for medical school. My mindset was that art was just a hobby that I would pursue later in life. I would day dream about it being my full time job but I always thought it was unrealistic. I would do photography sessions and commission paintings here and there, but it was just for fun.

In 2020, amidst the pandemic, I had more time on my hands and was diving into my creativity. I decided that even though art was just a hobby, that I should at least have an online space to display my art. I thought that maybe, it would be easy and things would magically sell if I had a website. A small part of me, secretly really wanted it to work. After buying a domain and paying for a website host, I applied for an EIN number to make things official. And thus, GaliDuArt was born.

I think it took about two weeks before I got discouraged and abandoned it. I had advertised my business and my website (with one Facebook/Instagram post) and (surprise, surprise) I hadn't booked or sold anything yet. At the time, I internalized this to mean that my art was not "good enough" because it wasn't selling. In hindsight, I had absolutely no idea how to build a business. I wanted it to be easy and it was anything but that.

Around the same time, I was accepted into medical school but deferred for a year. This was partially due to the pandemic and partially due to the fact that I was seriously questioning whether medical school was the right path for me. During this year, I pivoted from medicine completely. I picked up a job at a climbing gym as the fundraising and marketing coordinator. Without medicine, I had no idea where I was headed and I was scared because for the first time in my life, I didn't have a straight line to follow. The universe has a funny way of working things out though. Little did I know that all of the skills that I learned in this job, would later help me and my business.

The next two years were filled with some steps forward, but also a lot of steps backwards. I found my way back to medicine (a story for another blog post) but this time in EMS. I worked full time as an advanced EMT while doing photography sessions and the occasional painting on the side.

The summer of 2022 was chaotic but beautiful in hindsight. It was a milestone for my business and I. I left a toxic relationship and truly started building a vision for what I wanted my life to be like, from the big picture to the most minute details. This is when I truly started to get behind my business. I was ready to commit to it because I knew that if I did, it would allow me to build the life that I so deeply desired. I started showing up more on social media and in person. I revamped my website. I threw myself into practicing and learning everything that I could about painting, photography, and running a business.

I was committed but I wasn't ready to take the leap to full time. So, I worked full time as an AEMT on the ambulances, hustled on my off days and dreamt about the day where maybe I could take the leap.

I pushed hard in 2023 and it was paying off.

During the summer of 2023, I got injured at work. Although this was frustrating, it was a blessing in disguise because it allowed me to see what my life might be like if I was working in my business full time.

At this point, the vision I had for my life went something like this : I saw myself working part time as a paramedic and full time in my art business. And so, I dropped to part time in EMS, enrolled in paramedic school and started in the fall of 2023. I knew that I would have to spend less time on my business but I thought that it would be fine for one year so that I could ultimately get where I wanted to go. I was wrong.

The first semester was good. I was interested and learning a lot. I finished in December of 2023 and embarked on a 5 week long cross country adventure with my dog, Abby. We lived out of my Subaru for the majority of these five weeks as we drove from Chattanooga through Kentucky, Missouri, and Kansas, to Colorado. Then we continued to Utah where my mom joined us and then across Nevada and over to California. I stayed with my parents for a week and then we hit the road again but this time we went down south. We went to Arizona, New Mexico, into Texas, over to New Orleans and then back home to Chattanooga. It was the trip of a lifetime and I am so insanely grateful for it.

One of the things that I love most about traveling is that you are removed from your normal environment and placed in a brand new one. For Abby and I, we were in a new place every other day. There was nothing and no one to telling me who I was or how I should be. The only mirror I had was nature. With all of the driving, I had ample time to think, day dream and observe myself. I honed in on myself - how do I travel? What are my preferences - in food? In waking up? In activities during the day? What does my ideal day look like? What does it feel like? What do I believe in? What people and energy do I want to surround myself with?

I learned how to listen to my body, which is pivotal if you are going to travel alone but also for your life in general. I observed that my mind did not go to medicine even once during my trip. I was completely consumed in self reflection and my art business. I was constantly inspired by new, magnificent landscapes and my mind was reeling with ideas for paintings and photoshoots.

Towards the end of my trip, I had a thought cross my mind, "maybe you're not supposed to go back to school for medicine". This terrified me.

Enter January 2024. Another big milestone for my business and I. We got back home from our trip and I started second semester of paramedic school. I made it through two classes. My mind was elsewhere and I felt like I was in the wrong classroom. I was so uninterested in the discussion. All I could think about was what photoshoot I wanted to plan next or what collection of paintings I wanted to start on. And so, I finally took the leap and I left school. I stayed part time in EMS and committed myself fully to my business. I haven't looked back since.

I have a journaling routine that I've done every morning for the last two years. Most mornings, I marvel at this life that I've built. I reflect on the countless years that I did not believe that this life was even possible. And that it would be mine? Wild. My heart is overflowing with love and joy and gratitude that this business is alive and thriving and my own.

As you can see, the journey has not been a straight line but it has led me here. And I love being here.

I am so grateful for everyone who has been on this journey with me and supported me in all of my endeavors. I hope that you can read my story and find inspiration from it to build a life that you dream of. It's the small steps that eventually create a big life.

Here's to many more years of twists and turns, successes and failures, creativity and inspiration!

With love,

Gali Du