Erika Person - Life Coach & Artist

What’s up, Eagle Rock? I’m so glad I asked. 😂

I’ll be at the .nightmarket on Friday 6/19 from 3-9pm! Swing by and say hi!

If you like:
* empowering women
* giving unique gifts that give back
* exquisite handmade accessories
* fighting human trafficking while you shop

…I’d love to introduce you to , a woman-owned small business that exists to out of poverty! I’m bringing affordable, global treasures to the ERNM, including: * cereal box bead jewelry & steel drum art from 🇭🇹 * upcycled Huipil accessories & coffee from 🇬🇹 * mango wood home decor & block-printed linens from 🇮🇳 * life-changing larimar jewelry from 🇩🇴 * and more!

I’m also bringing some of my small paintings and prints! In the immortal words of Janis Joplin, “Take another little piece of my heART now baby!”

¡Hasta mañana al Mercado de la Noche de Eagle Rock!

This event supports the Eagle Rock post of the American Legion.

May was action packed, and I admit that I didn’t quite achieve the balance I wanted. But I learned a lot, that’s for sure.

1. Shared all about my Trades of Hope artisan partners again at Magnolia Marketplace in Sherman Oaks.
2. Later that day with my girl Avril at The (M) Factor screening I helped organize at the WTCC .
3. Cute tax: Poppy being her very adorable self.
4. Sage and her mid-nap derp
5. First day of radiation. That’s not my shade of green, but dang that robe was comfy!
6-7. 6 days later, the day after finishing radiation, popping up & sharing my art at the Eagle Rock Garden Tour at WTCC.
8. My girl made my fair trade display look its best ever!
9. With , and WTCC Board members at the Garden Tour.
10. Later that day, putting my feet up & enjoying the fruit of my husband’s labor.
11. With my girl Avril again, dressed up for the Art Show opening at WTCC!
12. Spending our anniversary at my first art show! With my true love, the very handsome . ♥️♥️♥️
13. Later that day, I got to hug one of my dearest friends from high school, . 🩷🩷🩷
14. I painted a portrait of my post-surgery right b**b.
15. Got a much needed haircut from Mike at The Greater Good in Pasadena.
16-17. After months of planning and some very late nights in front of my laptop, the day of the WTCC Founders’ Friendship Tea arrived!
18. With our Founders’ Friendship Award recipient, , , . These ladies are amazing!
19. My Peaches, ! We’re still damn cute, G. Love you!
20. Tabling for WTCC at Assemblymember Jessica Caloza’s incredible block party at the gorgeous LA River Center (how did I not know about this place??) with my partner in crime, Club President . Poppy & Sage turned 1️⃣ year old that same day!

Phew! June is off to a fantastic start. More on that later. ❤️🧡💛💚💙💜

What lights you up, friend??

For me, it’s art 🖼️, getting out in nature 🍃, meeting new people 👩🏻‍🤝‍👨🏽, drinking matcha 🍵 and helping folks become conscious consumers. 🛍️

I got to enjoy all 5️⃣ at on Saturday for LA Horticultural Heritage Garden’s inaugural Eagle Rock Garden Tour!

I’m always proud to represent and our global artisan partners, like Mosmeen, Erica & Clara. Several Eagle Rockers took home Haitian cereal box bread bracelets and upcycled steel drum art from . And some of my own smaller paintings got some sun 🌞 and some new admirers!

Huge thanks to my amazing hubs and my girl for their help setting up! I just finished radiation ☢️ the day before so was VERY grateful for the extra hands 🙌. Big ups to for keeping me fueled with matchaaaaaaa!

What did YOU get up to this weekend? Did it light you up?? 💡⬆️

Mother’s Day Grief…

My mom used to sing this to me & my sister all the time when we were little. I didn’t know it was a sad song. My post on my personal page was a celebration of my mom, but this song just punched me in the heart and now I’m a weepy mess.

I’m sending so much love to all the moms out there…and especially to those of you who have also lost your moms. Grief is a wild ride.

It’s OK if you’re having trouble finding your center today. (Or any day, for that matter.) I’ve heard grief described as love with nowhere to go. That feels pretty true right now, because I can’t tell you just how badly I want to hug my mom. I can hug my mother in law when she arrives tomorrow, I can hug other people, and it will never, ever be the same as being held by my Momma. I feel all the love, and I can’t give it to her. God, that hurts. I love you Momma, to the moon and back. 🦋🦋🦋🩵🩵🩵

If you are feeling this today, it’s OK. Give yourself grace. And let it out. Write about it, cry about it…I’m going to have a chat with my Mom’s spirit once I wrap up this post.

Can we please normalize grief? And talking about it? K, thx, bye.

***If you’re missing your Mom today, drop a 🩵 below. If there’s a song that always makes you think of her and either smile or cry your eyes out, share that too.***

🦋🤢 You know that feeling that rides the line between butterflies and nausea? Yeah. Me too. I’ve been painting for several years now, and I’ve sold my art, but I’ve never submitted to an art show until last month.

I’m so excited, and ALSO am aware that the familiar audition anxiety from my opera days is bubbling up. Choose ME. HIRE ME. BUY MY ART. Ugh.

The idea that some folks might HATE my work makes me want to hurl. Know what else makes me want to hurl? This self-doubt!!

I’m working really hard to let ALLLLL that sh*t go. Some people will hate my art. To quote , LET THEM. And let ME do the work of releasing myself from fear of judgment, from the act of judging myself.

This painting IS a vibe. It’s inspired by the incredible textiles embroidered by artisans in Guatemala (swipe to see the inspo), an exhibit theme of “Planting Seeds of Friendship,” and the bold & brilliant women from who I traveled with to Antigua. This painting is a snapshot of world travel, my love of color, of the most beautiful people, and more.

As a recovering perfectionist, it can be hard to be vulnerable enough to step out of your (MY) comfort zone. But I swear to you, that’s precisely where the real magic happens.

Work in progress: “From Antigua, With Love”

Last Wednesday, I had surgery to have a bit of breast cancer removed from my right side. I'm pretty profoundly right-hand dominant, but I am supposed to taking it easy on that side. It's a good exercise to paint with the non-dominant hand because it tends to loosen up your pen or brush strokes (even if you're holding on for dear life).

I wanted to memorialize this moment in time artistically and remind us all that:

Sh*t happens.
It changes us.
We grieve and can adjust to the new paradigm.
Whatever has (been) changed can be celebrated.
We adapt and become more resilient by exercising the courage to ask, "How can I...?"

Also, while I grabbed for these paint colors at total random, using things I haven't used in at least 2 years, they completely vibe with the pajamas I bought myself for my birthday.

Are you stuck somewhere in the sequence above? Is it in the middle of Step 3? (Yeah, that's where I got stuck, too.)

What are you working through? What adjustments are you finding hard to make? Drop a comment below or PM me. I'd love to chat.

Lotsa thoughts on my birthday. Here are the bullet points:

• I used to think 5️⃣2️⃣ was old. WTH.
• To celebrate the month of Februerika, all my original art 🖼️ is up to 52% off. DM me.
• Remember that little things can bring the greatest joy! 🤩
• This month’s Hope Mail is off the chain! And it sends a girl to school 🏫.
• I don’t feel like I have breast cancer, but I do. It’s tiny, and they found it in a routine screening mammogram. Schedule yours today! 🎀

I’m super grateful for another trip around the ☀️ and won’t take that gift for granted.

I pray for peace, for justice, and above all for LOVE. 💖 I’d settle for universal respect for the inherent dignity of all beings.

Daily doodle x Word of the Year. More later on how it was delivered to me, and how it’s already playing out. Ahora mismo, it’s time for bed.

Last day of

I don’t know what this is, but I don’t have to. I found my initials in there, though, so it was meant to turn out this way!

Anyone else exploring “enough” after years of trauma- and career-induced perfectionism? How’s it going? (Serious question.)