Baggage Claim

We were not given a soul so that we could work, retire, and die. We were given a soul in a body with a brain that is here to take the first step and embark on a journey to fulfill that soul's desire, which is the only guide that knows the way. We are on a soulful journey—an odyssey, a quest to understand our attractions, experiences, and emotions. We are the ones who shape the path by the choices we make.

This is the essence of my karma.

In 2015, a world I created and called "Devine Color Therapy From The Northwest, with Paint That Went On Like Yogurt, and Looked Like Chiffon became Devine Color By Valspar at Target, a small selection of craft spray paints and wallpaper before Valspar was acquired by Sherwin-Williams and discontinued Devine. I was released with a five-year non-compete in the paint industry, with no idea what I was going to do next or fully understanding what the loss meant.

Shortly after, I was invited to join a group of women, all successful in their own lanes, seeking to connect, support, and mentor one another.

Not everyone knew each other, but all were familiar with my Devine work.

Everyone went around the room to talk about why they were there. When it was my turn to say why I was there, I declared: "Hi, my name is Gretchen Schauffler, and I'm here because I am more than a fucking paint can."

Everyone laughed. No one knew what I meant, least of all me.

Little did I know this wasnt a declaration, it was my desiderata.

Losing Devine would cause me to unpack my colorful past for the next decade and discover the meaning behind why I trail blazed a less-traveled path, and deemed it divine!

Initially, I named the brand Devine Color because someone told me I needed divine intervention to accomplish what I set out to do, the audacity of creating a paint brand with colors and formulations I named divine. When I misspelled it, the "e" looked better, so I kept it.

That's the story of how I came up with the name for the brand.

But it wasn't until I unpacked my colorful past and the path I took to create Devine that I began to explore the inherent mystery behind our need to belong, love, and create places and relationships in this world we can call home—places that feel like true love, baggage and all.

Light is divine, and color is its reflection. The same light that nourishes the world and heals our bodies also awakens our souls through the colorful reflections in nature that we fall in love with, embody, and are drawn to for the rest of our lives.

Not only did I understand the true meaning of the name, but I also learned that true love is true because it's deeply rooted in fully loving yourself; before you can love others, you must first love yourself, because you can't give what you don't have.

That's how I learned that true love is created, not found.

And created Color Baggage.

Color Baggage became a declaration, an intentional act of awakening the soul to one's own light and using Devine Color to make true love the ultimate destination; home destinations, relationship destinations, dream destinations, baggage and all.

This is the essence of my dharma.

My hope is that through my writing and work, an awakening will occur, and a desire for what you already know will emerge, allowing you to unpack your colorful past, embody a collection of attractions and experiences with brilliance, beauty, and harmony, and make true love your destination. My desire is that you leave a blazing trail of light behind for others to ignite their own passion, growth, and spiritual light.

This is the essence of our destiny.

Welcome to my desiderata.

Yours truly,

Gretchen.

I am currently working on my book.