Today we’d like to introduce you to Rose Thompson.
Hi Rose, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
Well, I am very much into art. Any kind of art. Art was my favorite subject in school. I used to get high marks for my art projects and my mom kept all of them. When I was in college, I started dabbling into charcoal painting, but the hobby kind of tapered after a while. Life kind of got in the way. 2020 gave me the time, just like everybody else, to explore things that I haven’t tried before. One day, I was watching Bob Ross painting on Netflix and I told myself, “Hey, I think I can do that.” So, the next day I bought painting supplies from Amazon. Then, I started painting while watching Bob Ross. I started with oil. Surprisingly, it came out really well. So, I stopped watching and just kept painting everyday. From there, I tried acrylic. I found it easier to use than oil, so i kept painting. At first, I was just giving my paintings to friends, until one of my friends told me I could sell them. That’s when the idea of uploading it on Instagram started and named the page Reveries by Rose. You see, I wasn’t really the type of painter who could copy nature. Most of my artworks come from what I may have seen on shows I watched or views that I remember. Some may even be something that I imagined. But mostly, they are memories. And I call them my reveries.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I wouldn’t call it smooth. There were no sales at the start. But, when the sales came, it was continuous. Like, there was a time when I got an order of like 10 on the same day. It came from one painting that apparently, everybody liked. After that, there was quite a long lull. And then it started again. But for me, painting is a hobby and I’m happy that I can actually earn from it somehow.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I work as a Space Planner for a commercial furniture dealership. It is still art connected. I do plans and designs for private offices, schools, hospitals, universities, etc. You see, when I was younger, an uncle who was a famous architect in the Philippines taught me to do drafting by hand. I was in high school at that time. When I learned, he used to give me some of his jobs to draft and he would just be the one to sign them. Because of that, I wanted to take Architecture in college, but my dad kind of vetoed the idea and I ended up taking Advertising instead. So, becoming a Space Planner at this time is actually a dream for me. It’s rare to find a job that one would actually like to do. Funny enough, I forced my employer to give me that job. My husband works for the company and I didn’t have a job. I heard that they were looking for a Space Planner. I asked my husband what a space Planner does and he told me. As usual, I said, “Hey, I can do that!” Hubby didn’t believe me, but agreed to bring me to his work the next day anyway. I talked to the owner and made a deal. I told him to give me one week to learn the software and what to do. If I can’t do it in one week, then he doesn’t have to pay me. He hired me after 3 days.
We love surprises, fun facts and unexpected stories. Is there something you can share that might surprise us?
Most people see me as an extrovert and a very confident person. I’m not. Not really. There are times that I love my own company. You see, I was born an only child to older parents, so I got used to entertaining myself. That’s why I have like a ton of hobbies. I am also ADD (it’s now called ADHD). Having a lot of hobbies actually helped my ADD. I remember my mom telling me that when I was a kid and wouldn’t calm down, they would give me a crochet hook and yarn and I would just sit in a corner crocheting chains. I would frog it, and do it again and I became calm. So, I do crochet and knitting (which also turned into a business WitchThatKnits), cross-stitching (witchthatstitch) and painting. Also, I love saying “I can do that!” coz my motto in life follows a poem by Walter D. Wintle entitled “The man who thinks he can.”
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.reveriesbyrose.com
- Instagram: @reveriesbyrose
- Facebook: Reveries By Rose
Image Credits
None
