Anyone Can Paint

Have you considered being an artist? Do you long to paint or do something creative but something holds you back?

I didn’t grow up with art. I colored, I doodled but that was the extent of it. I was creative though. I made mud pies in the back yard, decorated them with stones and had bake sales trying to sell them. The true Capricorn that I am. In grown up life I had two creative careers. The first was as a Hairdresser and the second was in the Culinary Arts.

The desire to paint came late in life with an inner nudge. At first I ignored it like I do most things. However it got louder and became so persistent I finally gave in and took an adult education art class. No prodigy artist here! I was so bad I don’t think that first teacher knew what to say. For some reason though I stuck with it. Somehow I felt if I was given the desire I would be given the ability or I would die trying. So I persisted and the more I painted the more my skills developed.

I am not a traditional artist. I suck at drawing and I hate learning things like perspective. All I want to do is paint so that is what I do. I know I would be a better artist if I studied those things but at this stage in the game I want to enjoy my creative pursuits.

Why am I going on about this? Because I think we all have something creative we want to try but our thoughts get in the way. We think we don’t have a creative bone in our body. What if I make bad art? What if I get criticized? I don’t have the time. And so they go. Trust me I have thought them all. What I have found though is that none of them matter. They are just thoughts and like it or not they are going to be there. When it comes to art though it is really not about the finished product or about how good you are. It’s about the journey. It is about who you are becoming in the process. Will you be good at it? Maybe not. But with consistency your skills will grow and sooner than you think you will be an artist. And I have found the rewards are much more than a good painting.

Trust me, If I can learn to paint anyone can!