I Painted a Painting and I am not a Painter!

🎨 Sip, Paint, Repeat: Life Lessons From a Canvas 

I’m not an artist. Not by a long shot. But I do love being creative – creativity is my happy place.

Yesterday, I swapped my usual creative outlet for a paintbrush at a paint and sip event. My amazing friend Liz – an actual artist (like, she knows what to do with a brush that I could never dream of) – led a room full of ladies step by step to create this gorgeous painting.

It amazed me that we all had the same instructions, the same colours, the same canvas… and yet, every painting turned out beautifully different. Unique. A little like life, isn’t it?

Lesson One: Step by Step Works Wonders

If you’d handed me a blank canvas and said, “Paint this stunning masterpiece,” I’d have laughed and said "but I don't know how!". But Liz broke it down. First the background. Then a few brush strokes here. A line there and before I knew it, each of us had something that actually looked like art – not a toddler’s first attempt at finger painting as I envisaged mine would look.

It caused me to ponder how much life is like that.  If we want something and we take it one small, manageable step at a time, we can one day look back and think, “WOW, I did that!” It’s not some secret formula that is hidden from us, it’s momentum.

Lesson Two: A Good Teacher Makes the Journey Possible

There’s something powerful about following someone who’s walked the path before you. Liz didn’t just know what she was doing; she knew what we needed next, even when we didn’t. She nudged, encouraged, and showed us the way.  She had already pathed out the way with her hard work and experience.   She had prepared and carefully curated the art lesson for us - because she cared and loved what she was teaching.  It was very cool!

Isn’t that what we all need sometimes? Someone who’s been there, who cares about us and has taken the time to prepare and learned the lessons, and can say, “Trust me, you’ve got this. Just one more brushstroke.  I know what comes next, even to the ending.”

I know that life doesn’t always come with step-by-step instructions. But having a good teacher as a guide, or even a wise friend can really make the road less scary, and the results a whole lot more beautiful.

Yesterday, I went home with paint on my hands, a huge sense of wonder and a big smile on my face, And A reminder I needed:

• You don’t have to know it all at once. Small steps still make a masterpiece.

• You don’t have to do it alone. Find the people who’ve been there before and let them guide you.

And if you mess up a stroke or two along the way? Well, that’s what makes your canvas different from everyone else’s – and that’s the best part. i dropped my brush onto my canvas by accident a few times but was able to fix the mistake with some careful brush strokes 💛🎨