That’s a big statement, so hear me out.
Most of us had a sh*t time at some point during ‘the covid years’. I turned to painting as a solace, a creative outlet, a way of reminiscing about the places we could no longer visit for the foreseeable.
I’d had some success selling my work and wanted to push it further but the imposter syndrome fairy visited often and sprinkled me with her “who do you think you are?” dust!
This painting kind of exploded out of me - I was playing and having fun, collage and texture and scribbles and splatters - and I loved it. I wanted to share it - I wanted to point to it and say “I made this - it’s cool isn’t it!”
I decided to sell it, I had it beautifully framed and (as we were then allowed out again) I took it to my first, post-lockdown, show.
Now, often a painting is shown a number of times before it finds its new owners. This painting had me make a promise: “if my new owner finds me this week, you’ll ignore the fairy, follow your heart and go all in for an artist’s life - it’s all you’ve ever wanted”
On the second day, a fabulous gent chatted to me politely about my other work and then said;
“Now this one I love, I’ll take it!”
My cheeks hurt from smiling as I packaged it up and I heard a faint *puff* as the imposter syndrome fairy disappeared (she visits occasionally, dear readers, but I’m better at wafting her away!)
I bounced home that evening, knowing that I had a promise to keep, to go all in and follow my heart.
There’s been ups and downs (but that’s as should be) and I’m still here, pursuing what I love. I’ve learnt resilience, adaptability, growing a thick skin, saying yes often, a bit of pig headedness (stubborn, Moi?!) I’ve took risks but I know I need to take bigger ones - so many amazing life lessons all tied back to my art and my promise to this painting!
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