GRIT – Passion and Perseverance

"No income tax" sounds like good news…

But what it really means is that the business is running at a loss.

Yes, a loss.

For the first time since starting The Drawing Donkey in 2021, my books are in the red.

To be fair, it isn't a huge surprise. I've already spoken about how I almost lost the business in 2024 for reasons beyond my control, and how 2025 was supposed to be the year of recovery and renewed direction. What I completely underestimated was how much losing momentum in 2024 would affect that recovery.

I was, in many ways, starting again.

That meant investing in a new website, a rebrand, fresh stock, and all the work needed just to get back to where I had been before everything stalled.

On top of that, the wider economy hasn't exactly encouraged people to spend. Globally, uncertainty has made everyone more cautious. Here in Kenya, protests over the Finance Bill, rising fuel costs, and ongoing disruption haven't exactly helped either.

If I'm honest, I've taken my foot off the accelerator too.

I never launched the donkey wheel cover. I never committed to the list of new products. I didn't push my bread-and-butter pet commissions. I only half-heartedly promoted the new website, and at one point I even managed to lock myself out of social media advertising thanks to an accidental pocket dial.

Mostly, I've just kept painting, wondering why everything suddenly feels so much harder.

Sales have been steady enough, but not enough to cover the investment. As every small business owner knows, exposure doesn't pay the bills. Constant headlines predicting doom don't exactly inspire bold decisions either.

I've been doing a lot of thinking.

At what point does grit—the thing that fuels passion and perseverance—run out?

I've realised that, for me, it doesn't.

The easiest option would be to give up, get a "real" job, maybe even sell everything and start over in another country.

But so much would be lost.

So grit isn't just an option anymore. It's become part of who I want to be: an artist making a comfortable living from doing what I love.

I might be in the red today.

But I'm definitely not giving up.

The silver lining? This year I was selected as a finalist in the 2026 David Shepherd Wildlife Artist of the Year Award, and I've painted some of the best work of my career.

Which leaves me with one question.

Are you only a successful artist when you make a sale?

I don't think so.

Success isn't always measured on a balance sheet. Sometimes it's measured in growth, resilience, recognition, and simply having the courage to keep showing up.

The sales will come.

Until then, I'll keep painting.