Episode 33 With Donna C. Lawrence

Donna C. Lawrence is the CEO, Creator and Owner of Painting it Pink Events. She sees painting as a therapeutic process, and an art form that can take you into another zone! In this episode, Donna, who grew up in Chicago, shares that she is a product of her parents, and she has a sister. She noticed even at an early age that her sister possessed an extreme talent at age five. She asked her mother "how could a five year old paint so well." This illustrated to Donna and family that she, herself, had an eye for talent and good art. As we fast forward, Donna created a career at Wilson Junior College, married and had a son. When her son passed, Donna found herself in an emotional slump until it came to her that she was not meant to live in that way. She thought intently about how she was in the past – light, happy and feeling whole and complete. In acknowledging that she needed to cook for herself, Donna realized that she didn't want to even enter the kitchen because the colors and the feeling of lightness was just not there. She began to wonder what it would look and feel like if her kitchen were painted pink. When she painted it, she loved the lift and the exuberance she felt afterwards. She found herself experimenting with painting other things (e.g. furniture) the color pink. She found that the color pink was a catalyst for greater creativity, productivity and self-expression. Being an open spirit, Donna was introduced to a Life Coach by her sister, who thought that Donna could benefit greatly from this type of relationship. Working with a Life Coach provided greater clarity for Donna on her purpose – joy, fun, laughter, happiness and peace. She eventually started hosting events. This ultimately led her to forming the business Painting it Pink Events. Here is how she describes herself "I have re-imagined and recreated my own life. I paint everything pink – mostly everything inside my home – chairs, tables, doors, walls, kitchen cabinets, etc." Donna is emphatic that age is just a number and that if you have a desire and a passion to do something, do it with your heart and with gusto! Even in the midst of Covid-19, Donna found a way to pivot by offering events online via the Zoom platform. She is looking forward to getting back to offering events onsite. She notes an experience where a customer brought her husband to a Painting It Pink event, and although he started out not being engaged in the activity, he soon found himself immersed in the activity and found great joy doing it. "Pink has the ability to transform moods and attitudes", says Donna. If you would like to contact Donna or you want to be inspired by how she started a business in her 70s, she can be found on Instagram @painting_it_pink on Facebook as Donna C. Lawrence and her website is paintingitpinkevents.com