There's garbage and gold is us all...

Hey Reader
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I was thinking the other day about the expectation I see people have with painting.
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They try it once… maybe twice… it feels a bit awkward, a bit messy… and then quite quickly comes the label...“I’m just not an artist.”
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And it got me thinking about other skills. Like…
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Do you pick up a violin and instantly expect to play Mozart?
Do you pick up some pipe and think “yep, I’m totally a plumber now”
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Nope. 🤷‍♀️
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​So why is it that with art - and especially painting - the expectation is so different?​
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​Why do we give it such a short window before deciding “we’re just not good at it”?​
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I think maybe part of it is the idea that art should come naturally. That if it doesn’t feel easy straight away, it must mean something is wrong...
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​But your painting is something that unfolds over time...and that evolution doesn't stop...​
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Because, when you sit down to paint it isn’t just about, how to hold a brush or how much water to use...
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It's also about...letting go of control and staying with something even when it feels 'hard'.
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And that part… takes a little longer.
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There’s always a moment in a painting - I get it all the time - where it looks a bit… amatuer.
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The colours feel off.
The shapes aren’t quite right.
And your brain jumps in with: “ahhh it's rubbish….”​
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​That’s usually the exact moment people stop. But here’s the thing…​
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That messy middle bit
That slightly uncomfortable stage
Is exactly where the transformation is happening.
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Painting isn’t about getting it right straight away. It’s about staying with it long enough to see what happens and what evolves. ​
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Because often, what feels like “not working” is just not finished yet.​
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So if you’ve ever found yourself giving up early, or deciding it’s “not for you”…Maybe nothing has gone wrong.
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Maybe you’ve just stepped a little bit too early…
This week, if you sit down to paint…
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Let it be messy for a bit.
Let it surprise you.
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Til next time,
Sue 🎨💛

"In every human being there is both garbage and gold - it's up to us what we pay attention to." - Werner Erhard