AweeArt

Things I Learned in 2025 as a Full Time Artist and Father

2025, one word, grateful.

Not because everything was perfect, but because God sustained us through the ordinary days and the busy weeks. This year taught me that the life of a full time artist and a father is not about doing everything at once. It is about learning what matters most, protecting it and showing up faithfully.

I used to believe that if I planned hard enough and worked long enough, I could control outcomes. I am naturally a planner. I like goals, systems and measurable progress. But parenthood has a way of humbling you in a good way. It reminds you that your schedule is not the boss of your life. Your priorities are.

And that is where the biggest lesson begins.

Lesson 1: Trust the Lord’s timing

I used to think sticking to the plan was the main evidence of productivity. Activities meant progress. If I kept moving, I felt secure.

Then I became a parent and the whole world shifted. Your family becomes your first ministry after God, your first responsibility, your first joy. Plans still matter, but they must submit to the right order.

Here is what I believe now. Focus on what matters most: God, family, ministry, work and passion, friends and relatives, then community and everything else. When I keep that order, I feel peace even when the schedule gets messy.

Practical takeaway: Enjoy the process. Productivity is not quantity. It is quality. Trust God and do what is in front of you.

Lesson 2: Spend time with your family

We have a simple rhythm in our home. We call it “Haraya Time.”

Usually around 5 PM, if there is no shoot, we drop everything. We stroll around town. Sometimes we stop somewhere for a breather. I get to talk with my wife Mytz while Haraya plays and explores like he is discovering the world for the first time.

Before, I was focused on work, work and work. I did not notice how easily a day could disappear. Now, I protect time with my wife and son because it is not optional. It is part of the calling.

Time is one of the most valuable things we have as creatives. We spend it to make art, build businesses and serve others. So when I am with my family, I remind myself, this is also time well spent. This is not a break from life. This is life.

Practical takeaway: Create a family rhythm and treat it like a non negotiable appointment.

Lesson 3: Discipline pays off

One quiet win this year is how much I have grown to trust my craft.

Every time I paint now, I do not start from scratch emotionally. I do not wrestle with doubt the same way. I lean on my notes, my previous studies and the hours of practice that built my style. I have a process. I have a language. I know how to finish.

Before, I used to doubt a lot. I kept pushing anyway. I studied technique, composition, color and storytelling until my hands learned what my mind could only imagine.

Now, painting feels fun again. I can paint ideas with less struggle. And yes, one of the most fulfilling parts is that people buy my work. Not because I chased trends, but because I stayed disciplined long enough to become consistent.

Practical takeaway: Talent is a gift but discipline is the engine. Keep showing up, especially when you do not feel like it.

Lesson 4: Give back to the community

One of the most meaningful moments of 2025 was facilitating a workshop at Basco CentralSchool’s Special Education.

We had fun creating. We laughed. We made mistakes. We tried again. And those smiles, including the smiles of the parents, were deeply rewarding. It reminded me that art is not only for galleries and clients. Art is also for healing, confidence and connection.

Before, my mindset was simple. Work so you can pay the bills. That is a real responsibility and it will always be part of adult life.

Now, I still work hard, but I also make room to give back. I believe God rewards generosity in ways you cannot always measure. Sometimes the reward is not money. Sometimes it is perspective, gratitude and fresh inspiration.

Even as a teacher, you learn. Being with them gave me ideas and stories to paint. So yes, stay tuned. There is more coming, including future exhibit plans.

Practical takeaway: Give back even in small ways. It will enlarge your heart and refine your art.

Lesson 5: Rest, health is wealth

We are getting older. That is just reality.

So I started paying attention to what I eat, how much I sleep and what kind of fuel I put into my body. Less sweets. Less oily food. Less mindless eating. More moderation. More discipline. Supplements and vitamins, when needed, are an investment, especially during the grind.

And yes, coffee helps. A lot.

Practical takeaway: Protect your health early. Your body is part of your ministry and your calling.

Side note: Caffeine! Antioxidant! Drinking coffee is not a sin. Try black coffee. Drinking black coffee is a sign of maturity (Joke lang)

Lesson 6: To stay sane, balance things

Here is a truth many creatives avoid at first. Passion alone does not pay the bills. And financial pressure can choke creativity.

For you to do your passion, you must have a job or a system that pays for food and bills. If you lose balance, it becomes hard to create with a hungry stomach and a pile of unpaid bills. Stress consumes your imagination and turns inspiration into anxiety.

This year, I learned to respect the balance. I invested more in wedding gigs through Ituxuh Studios, not because I want to leave painting behind, but because stable work creates space for painting. It gives me free days for art and real days for family.

Practical takeaway: Hone your skills while you are still young. Build something stable so that later you can focus on what you do best.

Lesson 7: Keep your circle healthy, let go of the negative ones

You cannot please everyone. People will disappoint you. That is part of life and leadership.

My biggest struggle this year was negative people. Not because they were powerful, but because negativity is loud. It tries to distract you from purpose. It tries to drain your focus and peace.

Before, I used to keep people close hoping they might change. Now, I choose health. I focus on people who share the same priorities and attitude. I keep the standard and let people rise to it. I do not lower it just to accommodate someone’s laziness or negativity because it always backfires later.

Few people is ok. Not everyone will do for you what you do for them. That is not bitterness. That is wisdom.

Practical takeaway: Protect your circle because your circle affects your pace and your peace.

A moment I felt God’s guidance and protection

There was a time when certain people attacked my reputation and tried to ruin how others see me. It was not new. I have experienced it before.

But this is what I held on to. I do not need to fight every battle publicly. I do not need to prove myself to everyone. I can keep doing what is right and let God handle what I cannot control.

A verse that carried me through is Psalm 37:5 to 6:
“Commit your way to the Lord. Trust also in Him and He shall bring it to pass. He shall bring forth your righteousness as the light and your justice as the noonday.”

That verse reminds me that God is not blind to injustice and He is not absent when people misunderstand you. He brings truth to light in His time.

Highlights I am grateful for

Creative Hub is stable. Wedding gigs are piling up. Exhibits are ongoing. Creatives are working. Most importantly, we had good health. No one in my family got sick in 2025 and that alone is a major blessing.

Some days were tiring and that is normal. But we were sustained. We kept building. We kept loving. We kept showing up.

Gratitude, the people behind the work

I also want to thank the people God used to make 2025 lighter and more meaningful. To my Team Ituxuh Studios, thank you for the excellence, the patience and the heart you bring to every shoot. You carried the grind with me and you helped make work feel like purpose.

To the Hangtay Artists and the Creative Hub Fam, thank you for showing up, building with us and keeping the creative fire alive in Batanes. To our clients and partners, thank you for trusting our hands, our eyes and our stories. Every booking, every workshop, every collaboration is not just work, it is a reminder that God provides through people and community.

My message to fellow artist parents for 2026

Trust God. Pray over your plans and keep those diligent hands at work. You are not a lesser artist because you cannot create the same way you used to. Creativity also has seasons. Sometimes your season is producing art. Sometimes your season is building stability. Sometimes your season is being fully present with your family. All of it counts.

And if you are in the middle of a quiet season, remember this. You can still paint between the lens and parenting. You can still build a life where your art and your family are both honored.

God is our sustainer and provider. Trust the Lord’s timing.

Question for you: How was your 2025 and what did it teach you?

#ArtistLife #AweeMytzHaraya #ArtistDad #FullTimeArtist #ParentLife #CreativeLife #Batanes #FilipinoArtist #ArtProcess #WorkLifeBalance #FaithAndWork #FamilyFirst #DisciplinePays #CreativeCommunity

Disclaimer: This post reflects my personal experiences and lessons as an artist and a father. It is not professional advice and it may not apply to everyone. Feel free to share if it encourages you, but let us keep the conversation respectful and helpful. Above all, glory to God, our Creator and Sustainer.

Thanks for visiting this blog 😁👌

The Volks Fantasy is a series of a couple's perception of an alternate dimension that depicts the Volkswagen as a spectacle in Batanes..

The Volkswagen was first introduced to Awee and Mytz back in 2016, when the couple attended an immersion and curatorial training at the Volkswagen Museum in Bulacan owned by Mr. Roland Cruz "the great", who also happens to have been Mytz' mentor in museum curatorship in 2018 when he was the then curator of the Ayala Museum.

Ever since the idea of the Volks was introduced to the couple, the thought of it has never left their imaginations. And now, the "what ifs" of it that have been lingering in their fantasies have been put into a vision of brush strokes and colors through the VOLKS FANTASY collection. Awee's works meld both the Ivatan monolith stones and the Volks into a visual harmony. As for Mytz's pieces, she portrayed the Volks as how they would be seen in familiar locations in Batanes.

Photos of the exhibit opening

Awee and Mytz are Batanes-based multimedia artists and together, they established Creative Hub, which as the name suggests, is a place that welcomes and brings art enthusiasts together to realize their potentials, voice out their ideas, showcase their talents, and simply promote love for the arts.