"La Vie En Rose"
“Life through rose tinted glasses” in French. In my case, rainbow glasses.
Just one week ago on Monday, I was sitting outside on my patio talking to Victoria on the phone. We were catching up on life things. When she asked how I was and what was new, I mentioned I was just going... Going with the flow? Existing? The flow of getting acclimated into my new home, new job, new environment, yet a lot of the same old things. I suddenly had the urge to paint. My #1 thing to do when traveling is visit the art museums there. No surprise I suddenly wanted to be Monet for the evening.
Next thing you know, I’m back from getting paint, brushes, and canvas and on a Zoom call with Vic, painting. She guided me as I had never “painted” other than while drinking wine at Painting with a Twist. After a few tips from her, AKA Bob Ross Jr., I started getting the hang of it. There’s something so liberating about just picking a color, any color, using any brush, sponge, or tool to start your creation.
For the first time in years I felt so free from obligations and my mind wasn’t consumed by any of the noise. For once, I found something that helped me escape and unwind all while discovering more about myself as my week led me to discover.
This was my first ever real “masterpiece”. I absolutely love it. It reminds me of ME. Bright, bold, yet soft, a little chaotic, loud, and when the paint dried up I saw more colors come to life. As I chose the colors for this piece, I went with the flow and trusted the process. I also just splattered colors, yet was still cautious to not ruin the colors when blending.
I also was aware when it was time to leave things as they are, let the paint settle/dry, and admire the beauty in front of me. Such is life, that’s how I have chosen or decided to live mine; Taking chances, stepping out of my comfort zone, making risky decisions that will help me grow yet I always calculate risk and usually like to think I know what I’m getting into. Painting taught me that day that I am in control of what I want to create for myself; life and the piece of art in front of me.
Another lesson I learned: when we paint we need to know when it’s time to stop and leave the painting as is, stop and admire its beauty. Once the paint dries, you admire, learn from what techniques you liked that could be used for other pieces, and then begin on a brand new blank canvas. Learning and doing better next time.
I started to think about my grandma Ana, from my father’s side, who was an amazing painter. She was a phenomenal oil on canvas painter. She painted flowers and her family. I never understood how she painted 1000s of paintings. Where did she find the time?! Painting must have been her way to silence the noise.
Since the age of 15 she started her family and had a total of 10 sons. When my grandfather and her came to the U.S. from Mexico City, she managed to raise her 10 sons and become a successful business woman. I admired her. After my grandfather passed in the 90’s, she ran and grew the businesses he had started. As I reflected on my admiration towards her I realized maybe painting was her escape. Her home was beautifully decorated with the finest furniture and all of her paintings hung on the wall in custom frames. Her home was an art gallery and more.
2nd day in, I went on Amazon ordered frames, fake money, and started a theme of art using a random $1 I found and then liked the pop art creation I ran with. It came so natural.
4th day in I'm loving the colors all around me. SO much that I decided to spice up my entire living room and stairs with LED lights. I loved the LED lights so much in my last place in San Diego. At the time of moving, a friend of mine, who isn’t important anymore, briefly commented on how I shouldn’t add those lights in my new home as it was “too loud” and not “good taste”. I didn't purchase any when I moved to see what kind of new decor I could put together in my new house. On my first ever trip to San Francisco I purchased a SF themed coloring book with matching color pencils. I always carried my coloring book and color pencils and would color when I needed a break from obligations or when I wanted to tune people out. I colored everywhere and anywhere. When I colored around certain people I thought it was them that brought me joy. I was wrong but didn't see it then. Coloring brought me joy. But I wasn't ready then to really embrace it.
Fast forward to these last 2 weeks; my clothing choices, the new décor in my home, and my new love for creating art fills me with a new found joy.
There’s a song, "Till There Was You" a cover by the Beatles, I love that relates: “There were bells on a hill, but I never heard them ringing no I never heard them at all till there was you, there were birds in the sky, but I never saw them winging, no I never saw them at all till there was you…”
The song is about falling in love with someone, but the way I listen to this song now has a whole new meaning. Till there was “you”, yeah YOU. Your truest or "trying your best" to be truest, you ..(sounds like a Dr. Seuss quote LOL).
To conclude, sometimes the colors you see in your every day aren’t so vibrant, maybe you’re not ready to see things/life in a brand new perspective, till you’re ready to. I'm sure I'll hit a bump in the road where I don't want to be creative or can't express myself. We're human. But keep listening to you, do those things you suddenly have the urge of doing, remove people from your life who dim your "light" and see what you learn about yourself as you explore new hobbies and creative outlets.
You got a blank canvas to create something great on. ;-)
AT