I took a little break from writing and I am writing this on April 1st . I am not big on pranks and instead I will tell you what I have been learning from my painting class. I have been agonizing with feelings of discouragement that I can’t keep up with more talented classmates. There is quite a tendency to compare when you see others’ paintings that you perceive as out shining yours.
But what is so amazing is there are no two paintings alike! Everyone has their own talent of laying down colors and painting the scenes unique to their eye. What that continually illustrates to me is that everyone has a particular image of what they want to illustrate on their palette. It is their image coming from their own expression. What I am always amazed by is there are no two paintings alike. There is usually something beautiful in every ones’ painting.
How many times in life do we perceive something a certain way and our spouse or sibling sees it totally different. We all have our filters and sometimes that can be colored by memories and happenings from our past. We may see it through a lens that says there is danger, so we perceive things without much hope or possibilities toward good coming our way. Or we may see things as unsafe and feel like we have to be suspicious and on guard all of the time. These faulty perceptions can really trip us up and create unwanted behavior.
We may feel like we are on a perpetual hamster wheel with feeling stuck in ever being able to change. What I am learning in my class is growing from my mistakes. It seems that many times in life we learn how to improve by doing things wrong the first time. We may learn to develop new perceptions of things when we experience the first way that didn’t work. Then we find a new way by shifting our thinking to come up with a new perspective.
I like to apply these lessons I am learning in painting to life.
Lesson #1 – Don’t give up when something doesn’t turn out well. Just develop a new strategy!
Lesson #2 – If your image of what you wanted doesn’t pan out, find a new way to perceive it.
Lesson #3 – Try to not compare as you can see the beauty in everything created- every person, every job well done, and every athletic feat. Look for it.. and you will find it!
I leave you with this as you head into spring. Soon, the snow will be leaving us and little buds will be appearing with new signs that spring is around the corner. Be gentle with yourself and allow any rebirth to be bursting forth in this turn of the season!
Suzanne Simpson, The Emotional Liberator