Tell Your Story

I'm Debi Hammond and my lifestyle and business is Creating Happy. One day in December, I was born in northern California to make a positive difference with my creative, active and happy imagination. I have been drawing, painting, and making since my memories began.

My husband Rob and I moved to Texas in 2017 to be closer to family and we felt like we were home as soon as we arrived. I am an artist, writer, art teacher and happy practitioner and I'd like to share my story.

 

My art career began in 1982 and my experience and expertise as an artist include graphic design, cartooning, greeting card design, illustration, drafting, watercolor and acrylic painting and art instruction. Everything I create comes from my heart to touch a place in other's hearts. I am inspired by nature and my love of life every day. There are so many animals and colors and contrasts to explore and create with my happy and whimsical twist. I have one published children’s book, The Blanket, a Story of Healing, that I wrote and illustrated. I have self-published The Tickle Monster and Have Fun, Take Care and Remember Shasta Lake, with several titles in the wings. I had a graphic design business in the early 90’s and struggled with splitting my time between running a business and being a good mom. When I felt most creative our kids wanted to play or show me something and I quickly realized they would be grown in a blink. I shelved my career and focused on being the best mom I could be. I promised myself I would return to my career when our youngest graduated from high school in 2009. To stay active in the arts, I developed an art lesson program to teach in public schools while our kids were in school. I have worked with students in public and private schools- elementary through high school and I have created art workshops for teachers. I have instructed art through city and county programs and taught through private lessons.

 

In 2008, Creating Happy was born as I began planning my return to my career. I hit the ground running after graduation and I’ve only stopped once when I doubted my abilities to fulfill my dreams. After our move to Texas, I began teaching private art lessons and developed Paint Pouring Parties to teach adults and children the fun of pouring paint. I joined Frisco Arts and the Visual Arts Guild of Frisco, attending and volunteering where I could, to become active in the community and find outlets and opportunities to showcase my art and lessons. Not being a larger scale painter, I didn’t find footing in the gallery community and then the pandemic put a stop to art lessons and painting parties. I registered for B-School with Marie Forleo (an online intensive business training) to learn the business of doing business so I could create a smarter business model. I have an online shop where I sell my art and designs as prints and happy products. I am in the process of establishing local sales, publishing my book series on art instruction for kids and creating art lesson plans for kids and doing all the things to promote and run my business as a multi-passionate solo-preneur. I haven't yet seen a profit since Covid changed the world, but I have planted many, many seeds knowing that the season for my art work to bloom and blossom is coming.

 

I do what I can to care for our planet and make a positive difference every day. I love spending time in nature, I happily hug trees when I have the chance and my love for animals is life-long. As for humans, I believe we all share a connection with each other- it's what I see as a spark in our hearts that links us together. We are all here to make a positive difference where we can with what we have. I look forward to Creating Happy in Frisco and beyond. You can find my art and inspiration at www.creatinghappy.net.