Life and Work with Danielle Driscoll

Today we’d like to introduce you to Danielle Driscoll.

So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I started my blog, Finding Silver Pennies, seven years ago. I had two very young children at the time and wanted a creative outlet. Back then I didn’t have a giant plan. I just felt this desire to write and create and the blog allowed me to tap into my inner creativity. Before blogging, I hadn’t painted furniture or DIYed, I hadn’t taken photography lessons. In the early years, on the blog, I chronicled about our life by the sea in Scituate, MA, treasure hunting on the beach, and also at yard sales and antique markets. What started out as a hobby became something more. I started painting our furniture and friends started asking if I could paint their furniture. I sell painted pieces and two years ago I decided to write a book on painting furniture. “On the Tip of My Paint Brush: Painted Furniture Techniques” is over 150 pages of everything I know about painting. It includes step by step tutorials, tips and tricks and also paints and sources for fun things like hardware and wallpaper.

In addition to painting furniture, I’ve become passionate about creating a warm and welcoming home. I believe a home should reflect the lives of those who live in it. We have two boys and two dogs so our home is very relaxed and most things are machine washable. We live in a 1927 Dutch colonial and I enjoy updating it with unique finds and also bringing in elements of the past.

It is my goal with my blog to inspire people. To give ideas on how they can create a beautiful and inviting home on a budget. I also want people to realize they are creative. It wasn’t until I started blogging that I found my creativity.

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
In the beginning, I didn’t have a plan or expectations. My blog started very organically. For the first two years, I didn’t monetize my blog as that wasn’t my goal. I do now have ads on my blog and have worked with some amazing brands over the years. I partnered with the Home Depot on a She Shed Makeover in our yard. It’s all things coastal. I had the opportunity to take part in the World’s Longest Yard Sale with GMC and we did a home over for Habitat for Humanity. That was so much fun and so rewarding. I’m an ambassador for Saltwash Powder and enjoy using this paint additive to create fun coastal looks. I’ve also helped new start-ups and small family businesses promote their products that I think my readers will enjoy.

Hmmm, has it been a smooth road? I think my blog journey, and my life, has been a twisting road. Sometimes, I’m not always sure where I’m going but I’ve been given so many fun opportunities through my blog. I’ve met so many great people – other bloggers, readers, creatives, businesses. I love that I can contribute to magazines, do freelance photography or create art (watercolor paintings or painted furniture) and sell it.

In the beginning, I tried selling my painted furniture on Etsy and in an antique mall. These were not the best venues for my stuff. Shipping furniture is very expensive and most people on Etsy thought it was included in the price. Some months at the antique mall, I didn’t make enough to cover the rent. During that time I felt like such a failure because I didn’t have the immediate success I sought. I’ve found great success doing open studios at my home and also selling watercolors in my Society6 shop.

I love learning new skills so I’m always trying new things. I try to look at my blog and creative endeavors with optimism and an eagerness for adventure. When I’m writing or creating for my blog, I always feel super energized and happy.

In terms of advice for other women, I would recommend jumping in and starting a blog. Try not to over think it. Just jump in and learn as you go. Sometimes in life, we can stop ourselves by over-thinking. For example, if I waited to start my blog for my photography to be amazing, I probably would still be trying to take better photos. Only by doing or making and taking chances do we learn. Find your voice and your style. It’s easy to copy other people with Pinterest and social media but what do YOU love? What makes you happy? Follow your heart and that will set you apart from others. I realize that sounds cliche. One other thing is to be someone who lifts others up. It’s easy to be negative or find fault in others but to help promote other bloggers and other creatives is so important. It’s what makes the world go round.

Please tell us about Finding Silver Pennies.
Through my blog, I tell my families’ story. The blog, the way I decorate, my photography: it’s all very personal. I share so much about our life. My dad passed away recently and this loss hit me hard. After spending a month at the hospital by his bedside, not blogging at all. He passed away on St. Patrick’s Day and that Monday I shared some of my happy moments with him on the blog and I had an outpouring from readers of their own stories, the loss of their dads or some of them told me they were sad they didn’t have the closest relationship with their own father.

As a blogger, wife, and mother I wear many hats. Some days, I’m painting watercolor pansies, other days, I’m walking our youngest to school along with my husband and two dogs and on other occasions, I’m trying to get just the right angle for a photo of my current project.

Telling stories is what connects us as people. Each blog post is a new story. Sometimes, it’s about a piece of furniture (I always name them by the way) or sometimes, it’s about the BEST Keto omelet and other times its story about being a mom or caring for rescue dogs.

Are there any apps, books, podcasts or other resources that you’ve benefited from using?
For blogging, I love WordPress and Lightroom to edit photos.

I LOVE podcasts! I listen to them while driving and while working in my basement studio. A few I love are:

How I Built This
Here’s the Thing with Alec Baldwin
Akimbo a Podcast by Seth Godin
Ted Radio Hour
Style Matters Podcast

I have memberships to Skillshare and Creative Bug and love trying new techniques with these online classes.

I love walking our dogs on the beaches and around Scituate. It helps clear my mind.

I try to go to yoga 4 times a week. I LOVE hot yoga. EVERYONE is happier in our house when I’ve gone to yoga.

Pricing:

• My eBook has to options $15 for the eBook

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.findingsilverpennies.com/
• Email: danielle@findingsilverpennies.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ddsilverpennies/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/findingsilverpennies/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/DDSilverPennies
• Other: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCek08yl3dBNKBHjguVGqb9Q

Image Credit:
Kjeld Mahoney Photography, Danielle Driscoll

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