My Story

If you knew me personally, you would know I'd be giving you a smile + a hug right now! I'm guessing you may want to know a little more about who I am + what I do so, here goes...  

My name is Michelle Owenby. I am a child of God. Lover of the stars, the seas + the mountains. A wife. A mother. A daughter. A friend. A southerner. A student of all that intrigues me. A traveler. A muser. A singer of songs. A seeker of truth + knowledge. An artist. A writer. A mentor.    

I live in coastal South Carolina on Sullivans Island with my beloved husband, two growing + lovable boys + our lazy yellow lab, Yeti. I work out of our home where I find (sometimes) peaceful + (always) joyful inspiration.  

Since I was a little girl growing up in Asheville, NC, things have always been a feast for my eyes; everything looked like art to me. Colors, shapes, patterns, nature + architecture. 

My mother had a huge influence on my perception of beauty; she was always refining things, organizing, creating + beautifying everything, from the flowers in our yard to the clothes in her closet. She taught me how to use my imagination + my hands to create beautiful, artful things. This "maker" heritage comes from our deep Cherokee roots. My dad was an avid outdoorsman + since I was his only little boy (wink), I was often along for his adventures. My love of nature + the ever-present beauty of our world is deeply rooted in him + our North Carolina heritage.  

As long as I can remember, I've loved collecting + using markers, colored pencils, pens, paints, stamps, decorative paper, journals, books + magazines - all the things that bring artful inspiration. It took years for me to allow myself the indulgence of chasing my love of those things. I had no idea how deeply all of that resonated inside of me + how much happiness + peacefulness it would bring.  

A recent spiritual revelation brought forth a whole new direction to my life; it awakened the parts of me that had been lulled to sleep since my childhood. This has ignited a fire in me that is involuntarily expressed through my writing,  my artistic work, spiritual mentoring + The Lovely Crux community. The Lord put new purpose, passion + meaning in my life that I simply can't help but respond in gratitude + awe. Any lovely thing that comes from me is only because of His great grace + creativeness! 

My hope is that my work may somehow bring a smile, soothe a heart, evoke emotion + reveal the loveliness around us all, if we just squint our eyes a tiny bit.