Sunday, February 6, 2011

Not all who wander are lost

2011 has been quite a daunting year so far. Lots to think about, many decisions to be made, and still a lot to get through.
This weekend, we had our 2nd unexpected 3-day weekend in a row. The weekends are almost feeling too long now (dare I say that?). To do something different, last night Jamie and I had an art night. I discovered the way I approach art is how I approach so many things in life.
Once we had set up the canvases and pulled out the paint and brushes, Jamie thought for about 2 seconds before a brush hit that canvas. Meanwhile, I sipped on my wine while scouring etsy for inspiration, trying to decide "what I was feeling", and what I wanted my piece to say. Once I decided what I wanted, I made a sketch on paper first, then sketched on my canvas, picked out and mixed all the colors I thought I wanted. TOO MUCH PLANNING.
And the painting, oh the painting...dare I say it stressed me out? With every stroke I scrutinized if that is what I wanted it to look like. About ten times I repainted, and changed, and made new colors, and added, and took away.
And you know what?
Everything turned out alright. Maybe even great. I like the painting even more this morning.
So, I need to learn to enjoy the process more. Quit stressing about each and every detail (especially those I have no control over). Everything will turn out fine, and it will be even better if I can look back and tell stories of all the great things that helped me to "get there".

Wandering: