Something New is Blooming — My New Website is Live!
So, who doesn’t like something NEW?
There is something rather lovely about a fresh start. Something new can make us feel revitalised, inspired and perhaps give life a little more pizazz.
And there is also something wonderful about finding something you absolutely love — whether it is a painting for your wall, a beautiful notebook, a card for someone special, or something for your home that simply makes you happy every time you look at it.
Over the last couple of weeks, I have been doing two things at once.
Painting — which I love.
And…
Building a website — which, quite frankly, terrified me slightly.
But I am very happy to say:
I DID IT!
My new website, Waikanae Paper Artist, is now live.
You can visit it here:
Why Waikanae Paper Artist?
Waikanae — which I rather like explaining as “Wai Can I?” — is the beautiful little coastal town I call home.
It is on the North Island of New Zealand, around an hour north of our capital city, Wellington. We have the sea, beautiful gardens, a very agreeable climate and plenty of inspiration around us.
It is where I live.
It is where I paint.
And it has become very much part of my creative story.
I realised I needed my own little space online where I could properly showcase my artwork, tell the stories behind what I create and offer my designs to people around the world.
Most importantly, I wanted a space where I could control my own creative narrative.
A home for my paintings, my florals, the things I make, the experiments, the successes, the slightly questionable ideas that may never see the light of day — and everything still to come.
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| My new online home is live — Waikanae Paper Artist, a place to discover my original art, cards, home décor and thoughtful gifts. |
There Was Just One Small Problem…
I had been avoiding building a website for a very long time.
Because I am not a technical person.
At all.
I am actually extremely good at avoiding new technology until I absolutely have to deal with it.
I recently bought one of those multi-purpose slow cooker / pressure cooker / Instant Pot type things.
It arrived.
I unpacked it.
And then I left it sitting on my kitchen bench for over a week.
Shiny.
New.
Untouched.
I deliberately positioned it somewhere slightly inconvenient so that every time I walked into the kitchen I had to look at it and remind myself:
“Nicky. You bought this thing. At some stage you are actually going to have to learn how to use it.”
I developed this particular strategy because I know myself rather well.
Years ago I bought a big fancy Kitchen Whiz machine that was apparently going to revolutionise my life in the kitchen.
It is currently sitting on the top shelf of my pantry.
Still in its original box.
I think it may be around ten years old.
I have never opened it.
Not once.
So apparently my coping mechanism for technology is either:
A. Hide it in a cupboard for a decade.
Or…
B. Put it directly in my way until I surrender and learn how it works.
This time, I chose Option B.
And strangely enough, that is exactly how I approached building my website too.
Learning Something New
There have certainly been moments over the last couple of weeks when I have stared at my computer wondering why on earth something that sounded so simple suddenly required menus, settings, domains, links, templates, buttons, apps and terminology I had never heard before.
But slowly — click by click — it started coming together.
And now I can proudly say that WaikanaePaperArtist.nz is live.
It is still growing and evolving, just like my artwork.
For now, many of the products you see on my website can be purchased by clicking “Shop on Zazzle.”
Zazzle then takes care of the checkout, printing, production and shipping of the product.
I chose Zazzle because I had already used them myself over the years to purchase gifts for friends and family and had always had good experiences.
It also means my artwork can reach people far beyond my little studio here in Waikanae, with customers able to order internationally including New Zealand, Australia, the USA, Canada and the UK.
That still feels rather amazing to me.
A painting that begins here on my table in Waikanae can eventually find its way into somebody’s home on the other side of the world.
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| From painting to product — a little look behind the scenes at how my original artwork becomes something you can bring into your home. |
And There Is More Coming
As I continue developing the website, I will also begin adding selected pieces that can be purchased directly from my own studio.
That means some artwork and products will eventually be wrapped, packed and sent personally by me here in New Zealand.
There is still plenty to learn, plenty to build and undoubtedly plenty of buttons for me to click incorrectly along the way.
But I am excited about it.
Behind the scenes I have also been painting, experimenting with colour, working on florals and creating new artwork that I will gradually share here.
Some paintings come together quickly.
Others spend quite some time sitting in my studio while I walk past them repeatedly thinking…
“You’re not finished yet, are you?”
Sometimes the answer arrives immediately.
Sometimes it takes several cups of tea.
That is all part of creating.
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| A little glimpse into my studio life — layers of paint, floral detail, works in progress and the creative mess behind the finished piece. |
And, in case you were wondering about the intimidating shiny pressure cooker…
I used that too.
Corned beef.
Pressure cooker setting.
And it was delicious.
So I am giving myself several rather enthusiastic ticks this week.
✔ Built the website.
✔ Website went live.
✔ Continued painting.
✔ Successfully operated mysterious pressure cooker.
Progress!
I may sometimes be a little slow to start.
I may develop some surprisingly elaborate avoidance tactics.
But one thing I am learning is that you don't have to know exactly what you are doing before you begin.
Sometimes you simply have to put the scary new thing right in the middle of the kitchen bench — metaphorically or literally — and give it a go.
My new website feels like the beginning of another chapter for Waikanae Paper Artist.
A place to share my paintings.
A place to show you what I am creating behind the scenes.
A place where my art can travel further than I ever could have imagined when I first picked up a paintbrush.
And hopefully, a place where you might discover something that makes you think:
“I absolutely love that.”
Because I think that is one of the nicest things about art.
It doesn't always have to be serious.
Sometimes it can simply add a little colour, personality, beauty — and perhaps a bit more pizazz — to everyday life.
Thank you for following along while I paint, learn, experiment, make mistakes, figure out technology and continue building this little creative business from my studio in Waikanae.
There is plenty more to come.
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And this time, I'm not putting it on the top shelf of the pantry.
Creative everyday,
Nicky
Waikanae Paper Artist
Visit Waikanae Paper Artist
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You’ll see yours once it’s published—usually within 24 hours. — Nicky