Hi, my name is Sean and I have enjoyed painting on seashells since I was seven years old. At first my shells were small and had a layer of colorful paint on the front, and an inspiring word like “Joy" on top of the paint. I made the shells for fun and showed them to my friends and family. As soon as my friends and family saw the shells their eyes lit up and they drew in their breath. When I saw their reaction my body got tingly and I had a moment of inspiration. Because of that I was giving the shells as gifts. Their feedback was so encouraging that I decided to share my shells with more people to inspire them as well. I did that because of the joy I felt when I was creating something of value that other people enjoyed. That’s how I started selling my shells at the local Commons. People at the Commons had the same reaction as my friends and family, and I felt very appreciative. During the following summer, I went to a beach one sunny day and found some big shells. I was so excited! Now I had plenty of space on shells to paint more advanced designs and to write longer words. One day, while I was painting the new shells, I got an exciting idea: I could inspire people by painting smiley faces on the shells, in addition to the words like “Joy” or “Peace.” So for the next year or so half of my shells were smiley faces. The shells were now more popular than ever! About the time I turned ten, I developed ideas for many new cool designs. I started painting animals, symbols, zodiac signs, planets, nature, abstract designs, just about everything. I also got new supplies, so that meant the shells were covered with not only paint but sparkles, special powders that melt with heat, metallic powders, almost everything in the local art store that could be put on shells and looked beautiful on them. This year, when I turned eleven, I expanded from inspiring words to inspiring sentences and started writing them on the backs of the shells, so people could look at the backs of shells they liked and see their “fortune” messages. People gasped in awe when they saw the messages. I feel so encouraged that I want to share my shells with people not just were I live, but nationally. I’ve learned how to set up a website, took photos of the shells, and uploaded them so you can pick the ones you like and order them for you and your friends and family. I hope the shells will bring you joy and excitement! |
