Details, details, life has too many details

I just spent a week in Victoria. I went to take a painting workshop  which was so good and so much more than an painting technique class. Our teacher was a self taught artist who gave into the pull  to paint in his 30's. I feel so fortunate to have found Brian and a classroom of people I felt a kinship with. I felt as though I was attending a personal development class at times.

Statements like, don't get caught up in the details. It is not your business how people see your painting. Leave the painting so the patron  can  finish it for themselves. If you feel the painting is not good or you are unhappy with it, just feel uncomfortable and move on. If you love it, love it for 5 min and move on.  Look and record, detach from your brain for a while. See what I mean... Brian is a wise man.

"Let go of knowing and ask to be inspired, then what you don't know that you don't know can come into your awareness."  Anonymous

It was such a great reminder for me to be easier on my self, not too push so hard and not to take things so to heart. Also, the way I see things is different than others and that is okay.

Just like the painting my life need not be perfect, but that does not mean what i am doing is wrong, it is all in the perspective. Just like my painting, I will do good painting, great painting and duds and all are okay. Someone will love the duds, because they see something in it, something that touches their heart. I purchased a painting a few years ago by Lewis Lavoie, it was of a group of women, which touched my heart because of my work with fabulous at 50. It is perfect, no but I love it all the same, heck he painted it in one evening. I felt as though I watched a baby being born.

What was the biggest difference to this class and others I have taken?

It was the joy I felt while I was painting which is new for me. To just explore and not fret about making every detail perfect or to worry about what other people will think. I did 2 large painting in 3 days, this would have taken me months before and I would have bored and sick of them.

"A magnificent subject painted poorly doesn't lift the heart, but a simple, uninteresting subject, painted with joy and life inspires the same."

The energy and pace in Victoria suits me well. I would love to live here, but as usual I am thinking it has to be all or nothing, I checked into what I was taught in the painting class and realized that that it doesn't have to be that way. I could look at being in Victoria many different ways. It could be lots of visits, rent somewhere and in time it will all fall into place, just like the paintings do. And if nothing else, I get uncomfortable for a few minutes and then make a different decision (or painting).

Dianna Bowes is the founder of Fabulous@50 and the editor of Be Fabulous! magazine. Dianna was the winner of the 2011 YWCA Women of Distinction Award in the Turning Point Category.  

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