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‘Well, I’ll be your first client. When you start working, let me know.’
‘Me too!’ said Wendy, followed by Rebecca. Wendy had lost eighteen kilograms in the past twelve months, despite a shaky start. It took some one-on-one sessions with Liz to finally break through the negative habits that stood in her way. Now, she exercised regularly, and had even taken up healthy cooking classes, with plans of studying nutrition.
Rebecca had also lost weight, although not as much as Wendy, but had managed to stick to a new weekly schedule incorporating meditation, yoga, and time with her phone switched off. She wasn’t as ‘on edge’ as usual, and she commented on how her new way of living had actually increased her house sales.
Liz beamed. ‘I’m so proud of you, Gina. Think of where you were that first meeting, and now look at you; ready to take on the world!’
Gina smiled and her heart warmed. Maybe not the world, but at leastherworld.
Liz turned her attention to Cara. ‘And Cara, you’re not the only one that’s had some big changes occur, let us know where you’re up to.’
‘Wow, what a year! So much has happened, yet I feel like it’s only the beginning.’ She shifted excitedly in her chair. ‘The owner of Queen of Arts is now a regular buyer of my artworks,andI’ve been invited to display the portrait of my son, Jacob, in an exhibition next month called, ‘A Celebration of Childhood.’ Cara handed out flyers and Gina slid one into her handbag. ‘Also, I’ve set up a website with a virtual gallery to showcase my work and sell some pieces. Here, I have something else for all of you.’ Cara leaned under the table and extracted a pile of prints. ‘They’re not framed, but since the club helped me achieve this, I want to give each of you a signed print of my ‘Bliss’ artwork. I hope it’ll be a reminder that there’s always beauty and peace around you.’ She handed the prints around the table, and ‘thank yous’ and ‘wows’ emerged.
Gina smiled. She knew exactly where to put up the print in her new place.
‘As well as prints, I’m also selling original paintings and taking commissions for portraits.And, I’ve just received my first commission, from no other than...’ Cara directed her hand at Liz.
‘Wow, you’re on a roll, girlfriend!’ Miranda said, just as Gina was thinking the same thing.
Liz nodded. ‘When I saw the portrait of little Jacob, Iknew I wanted one of my grandchildren. I’m also getting one of me and my husband to give to my family as a gift.’
Cara’s phone beeped. ‘Sorry, I’ll put that away.’ She popped it in her bag. ‘Now, with all this demand for my art, I obviously need time to do it, so with Jacob going to school this year I’ll only have Toby at home with me during the week. My mother’s going to mind him for one day each week, and I’ve also booked him into day care another day of the week. I always wanted to care for my children full-time, but I think it’ll be good for him, especially his social development. Plus, it’ll be good for me, and as you said a while ago Liz; a happy mother makes for happy children.’
Liz nodded, and Cara’s phone beeped again. ‘Sorry, I better check this. Knowing my kids, one of them has probably tipped paint all over the dog or something!’ Cara looked at her phone and her mouth dropped open. ‘Oh my God!’
‘What? Is everything okay, Cara?’ asked Liz.
Cara looked at Liz, then at the concerned faces of the group. ‘It’s better than okay! Someone just placed an order on my website for my highest selling item; a large canvas painting of the city which I called ‘Cityscape’, which took me ages to complete. I only put it up there to show what I could do and make the other items not seem so expensive. I didn’t think anyone would actually buy it!’ Cara’s face flushed with an excited glow as she bounced in her chair.
‘What’s it worth, Cara?’ Gina asked, everyone leaning forward in their chairs.
‘I was going to charge one thousand dollars for it, but Pete suggested I go higher to give my work a sense of value, so I listed it for three thousand dollars, and someone bought it!’
The women stood, clapping and cheering.Good for her, Gina thought.She deserves the recognition.
‘Hang onto these prints girls,’ said Rebecca. ‘They might be worth a fortune in the future!’
Everyone laughed, and Liz raised a glass in celebration of Cara’s sale, the others following suit.
‘I’ve got something to hand out too.’ Shauna rifled through her hessian bag. ‘Free tickets to my upcoming Environmental Empowerment workshop. I hope you’ll come along. I already have eighteen paid bookings!’ She handed out the professional-looking flyers, and Gina decided then and there that she’d go. She buzzed with a newfound desire to learn and experience new things.
‘So, you found my copywriter good?’ Molly asked Shauna.
‘Fantastic. The ad I put in Green Living magazine got me tons of new subscribers for my online newsletter. And I’m putting an ad into next Saturday’s paper and on Facebook for this workshop, so I hope I get more bookings.’
‘Well done, Shauna. How did your advertising go, Molly?’ asked Liz.
‘Really well, it seems I have found my niche in catering to the affluent baby-boomers, although I also get a fair few successful business women as clients. Well, their pets at least!’
A pet, hmmm. Maybe I should get a cat.Gina was enjoying her independence but thought she might benefit from a fluffy companion who didn’t complain or put her down.
‘I’ll have to book my Bobo in for a makeover, Molly,’ said Cara. ‘Although, you’d have your work cut out with him, he’s a menace sometimes.’
‘He’ll be no trouble,’ she replied. ‘I deal better with animals than I do people.’ She smiled.
Liz turned towards Zoe. ‘And Zoe, what’s the latest with you? Have any people who found the words of wisdom cards come forward?’
Zoe smiled. ‘Yep, five people. I’ve interviewed them, and the story will be published in this Sunday’s paper.’
