Join me for a Spring 2026 Hobby Lobby Shop With Me as I explore what’s new in spring decor, florals, wall art, and creative supplies — all through the lens of an artist. I stopped by Hobby Lobby to pick up a few studio essentials, but while wandering the aisles filled with spring flowers, pastel color palettes, botanical prints, and seasonal home decor, I found myself asking a bigger question: Can an artist find real inspiration in mass-produced art and decor? In this video, we walk through the spring collections together — from floral arrangements and canvas prints to textures, color combinations, and design trends — and talk about how inspiration works when you’re a working artist. At the end of the video, I share a small studio haul and what I plan to use it for: • A new paint storage idea for preserving my water-soluble oil paints • A brush shaper product to restore worn-out detail brushes If you’re an artist, creative, or simply love spring decor and shop-with-me videos, I hope this inspires you to look at everyday spaces a little differently. Let me know in the comments: ✨ Did you see anything inspiring? ✨ Can mass-produced decor still spark creativity? ✨ What are your favorite spring color palettes this year?
tips and tricks
Where I’ve Been Lately — A Creative Reset
There’s something strange about posting your life online each week — when you step away, it can feel like you owe an explanation. In this video, I’m sharing where I’ve been lately and why I’ve needed to slow down. While working on Vibrant Flight, an oil painting from my Needle and Brush — Birds and Botanicals: Paintings of Wool and Pigment collection, I talk honestly about energy, health, creative pressure, and what it means to put your body first. Living with adrenal fatigue and a sensitive nervous system means I have to be careful about how much I stretch myself. The colder months, busy seasons, and long days can take more than they give. And sometimes something has to give. For now, that has meant stepping back from weekly uploads and allowing space to rest and rebuild. If you’ve ever felt behind, exhausted, or guilty for slowing down — this is for you. My hope is to continue cultivating serenity through creativity — even if the pace looks different than before. Thank you for being here. I truly appreciate every single one of you who watches, listens, and shows up.
My First Year on YouTube as an Artist — Was It Worth It?
Is YouTube worth it for artists?
After one full year of showing up, creating, and sharing my work, I wanted to sit down and reflect honestly on what this journey has been like.
In this video, I’m sharing my thoughts after my first year on YouTube as an artist — the highs, the disappointments, and the quiet lessons that don’t always show up in numbers. I talk about what it’s like to create art without guaranteed sales, to launch collections that don’t sell, to post weekly videos without monetization, and to keep going anyway.
This reflection is woven together with footage from a winter getaway and moments of felting — working slowly, intuitively, and with intention. As I work, I share what I’ve learned about creativity, comparison, consistency, and why the act of making still matters deeply, even when the outcome isn’t what we hoped for.
If you’re an artist, creative, or anyone wondering whether YouTube is worth the effort — especially in the early years — I hope this video makes you feel a little less alone.
The Cold Case Project Files: Reviving an Old Artwork on a Snow Day ❄️
in felting, tips and tricks, video
When the first snowfall arrived, it turned the whole world quiet… and magically cozy. The studio felt like a winter hideaway, and I decided it was the perfect day to revisit an old project that had been tucked away and forgotten — something I now call “The Cold Case Project Files.” 🗂️
A few years ago, I challenged myself to create one artwork two different ways:• first as an oil painting, and• then again using needle + wet felting (painting with wool!) One version was completed long ago… but the second was left unfinished — waiting for the right moment to be revived. In this video, I bring the felted version back to life — warming up old skills, transferring the original image onto wool, and slowly shaping leaves, feathers, and color until it starts looking like something again. 🎨🪡
This is part 1 of a cozy winter mini-series — a project filled with texture, trial-and-error, and that satisfying feeling of returning to something you once loved. I hope it inspires you to dig out your own forgotten art and play again. 🥰
Videos mentioned• Oil Painting Pink Bird - https://youtu.be/_sBDAyzgbKw
Felting video Pink Bird- https://youtu.be/yoUV7Py8l68
Tell me in the comments:Do YOU have a creative “cold case file” hiding somewhere? What would you bring back to life first?
How I Style & Shoot My Paintings | Behind the Scenes of a New Collection
Step behind the scenes with me as I prepare my newest painting collection, Echoes of Old, coming November 28th, 2025. Inspired by the quiet magic of the countryside, the warm tones of Dutch Old Master landscapes, and the whispered stories of Mrs. Primrose, this collection is one of my most heartfelt bodies of work yet. In today’s video, I’m taking you into my studio for a full photoshoot day — gathering props, styling vignettes, updating hardware on antique frames, and creating flat-lay scenes that match the tone of the world I’ve been painting. You’ll see how I source materials, how I build visual stories through small details, and how these cozy autumn palettes guide the look and feel of the finished photos. I’ll also share a narrated excerpt from the Echoes of Old story — the quiet life of Mrs. Primrose in the 1800s, the countryside that shaped her days, and the secret letters and landscapes that inspired the collection. This video is a gentle, creative behind-the-scenes moment — full of warm candlelight, textured frames, soft color palettes, and the first full reveal of all seven paintings in the collection. ✨ Echoes of Old releases November 28th, 2025 ✨ Black Friday Sale (20% off): Nov 28 – Dec 10 ✨ Originals will be available at janlakey.com Thank you for being here, for supporting my art, and for stepping into this little world with me. I can’t wait to share more.