Life Lessons Painting Can Teach You

        It’s the end of the year and time for an appreciation post. I have started this just last year and was definitely satisfied with the long Instagram caption that I wrote thanking my brother for being my support during last year’s troubles. Last year was nothing but full of despair for the entire world and I was no different. Like many others, I too faced challenges. But like many others, I persevered too. Everybody had their hopes riding on 2021. In a jiffy, this year is coming to an end. This year has been a buffer, not as bad as last year but not quite back to normal as one had hoped for. This year has been a roller-coaster of high hopes and followed by disappointment. The hopes were high that once the vaccine is discovered, COVID will subside. That did not quite happen. I had a bunch of personal disappointments after high hopes that brought me on the verge of breaking down. 

        There were a few things that I decided I would work on. Of which I was able to complete only one, a set of 6 canvas paintings. It took me more than 7 months to complete it, I was away for 3.5 months out of those 7 months. Painting anything gives me a sense of satisfaction, the glossy paint, the brush strokes, the mixing of colors, and the euphoria when it dries off and I get to see the final product. I love painting but never had the imagination or creativity to create my original masterpiece or even attempt something that would involve delicate brush strokes or if I could mix two colors on paper properly without leaving borders. All I could was a child’s play to use everyday objects to help me provide structure to my painting. 

        My creativity has epileptic seizures. When or where the bulb in my brain will light up, I don’t know. My keen sense of observation over the years has told me that when I go to sleep or when I wake up is when I have those Eureka moments. Alas, that is also when the other half of my brain is sleeping. Naturally, I don’t remember all the good ideas that my right brain conjures up. Many times, an idea doesn’t pop up until the last min of the deadline or it does after I have failed at my first attempt. For example, I must have thought about at least 10 different ways I wanted to write the first paragraph of this write-up. Yet I ended up forgetting them all when I opened my laptop to finally jot this down. You may not know this but this is not the best beginning of all my dry runs.

        Coming back to my painting experiment, I had to take the help of Google, multiple people, social media, and even ask what color scheme I could use in order to paint. I was using “objects” to paint and yet, I made so many mistakes. Or I thought I made so many mistakes. I took a risk by investing in buying the canvas and a full set of paints. It was totally worth it. Not only did I enjoy painting the canvases, but the final result was also amazing. My wall looks so pretty and colorful.

 

Lesson Number 1 – You scrutinize yourself on a much detailed level than other people do. You tend to find more mistakes than others do. So don’t trust yourself and feel good about the outcome. Because it is not as bad it looks.

Lesson Number 2 – When life gives you opportunities, you should take them. Something good comes out of it, always. Letting go of the opportunity and regretting later does not do you any good.

Lesson Number 3 – Things don’t always end up the way you want them to. They fall short of your expectations or you get more than you had hoped for.

Lesson Number 4 – Life is about living in the small moments. There is more sadness in life than there are happy moments. The happy moments are what get us through the sad phase and what makes it worth living for.

Lesson Number 5 – You should do things even if it scares you. I am always unsure of whether I should go for it or not. Every time I tried to do it, the outcome has been good. Either it made me happy or I learned from my mistake and moved on.

        I am looking forward to next year with a positive outlook, that I will survive whatever happens. I have dealt with problems before and I am alive on the other side of it. So, why not do it again next year? Why not face my fears and attempt to conquer them? Why not live a life that is liberating? There is this one song that resonates in my mind with the idea of living life despite troubles – Jeete Hai Chal (Neerja).

        Next year, I will plan and I will fail to work on my projects. But, that doesn’t mean I should not try. I have this year to look back and get inspired by my own self-preservation. Maybe, I will do better or maybe not. “I am working on a new me” is not a chapter in life, it is a practice that is ageless and timeless. I will continue to do things that are out of my comfort zone. How else does a person grow!

I wish you all a Happy and Thriving New Year where you re-discover yourself every single day!