It’s amazing to think that today is day 41 of my 100-day art challenge. This art challenge is, for sure, a journey. An adventure in creativity. On Saturday, after I posted a picture of an apple that I found to be unsatisfactory, Tara reminded me that “The fun is in the journey, though!” And, indeed it is. That day, I made a very conscious decision to share a painting that I really didn’t like, one that I thought missed the mark. To be more specific as to why the portrait of the apple missed the mark, it looked as if the stem had been attacked by a few too many worms! I had drawn it in such a way that it looked like there was a giant hole near the stem. The mistake was actually quite simple. I used a marker to differentiate the stem area from the rest of the apple and the result was a sharp line! If I saw an apple that looked like that in “real life,” I might hesitate before eating it!
But, anyway, there was method to my madness. In any journey, there are missteps and there are accidents, some happy and others not. It’s best not to hide the mistakes and the missteps and the accidents. These are opportunities for growth, as opposed to excuses for giving up. It reminds me that the word “FAIL” isn’t just a word. It’s an acronym, which means “First Attempts In Learning.” First attempts. NOT last attempts. We are the sum total of our gifts, our challenges, our hopes, and our dreams. So… anyway, I am happy about Saturday’s post and happy to realize that the painting I shared then represented some of my first attempts in learning, not my last attempts.
Today is my B day with the Blogging from A to Z Challenge. And it’s a new day and a new step along the journey of art and creativity. This bear is the first element of a bunch that I plan on drawing and painting or even crocheting before I reach the letter S, which will be story. And then, I will incorporate all of those elements into a story. The elements include characters, objects (props), setting, and scenery.
Stay tuned as I build up the elements for the upcoming story! See you tomorrow for the continuation of the Ultimate Blogging Challenge, the Blogging from A to Z Challenge, and the 100-day art challenge.
Enjoying the journey is more important than just focusing on the destination. It allows us to appreciate the present and grow through experiences. Memories and lessons from the journey are part of personal growth and fulfillment.
Thank you for the reminder, Paul. This is all so very true. At times, it’s hard to see because the journey has become too difficult. But not impossible! It is so necessary to remmber that impossible isn’t true and “I can’t” needs to be minimized. There are people who say that removing “I can’t” from our vocabularies is what we need to do. But that too minimizes our struggles and our challenges. There are things that I can’t do, and that’s not going to change. For example, the chances of my becoming a pole vaulter or a gymnast are close to zero. But a tap dancer? For sure. And, if I wanted to become a runner, it would be difficult but absolutely not impossible.
That’s a lot of challenges! And, hey! I’m glad you found what I said helpful! I’m working on a 52-week challenge myself. I am creating images based on songs that I love and focusing on how colour can help me tell the story. I haven’t yet picked my song for today’s image. But choosing the song is part of the fun! Hopefully, I can get it done today. I admire you for sticking to your challenges.
I love music and I’m a member of my church choir!Life is so much better with music! Best wishes in choosing your song of the day!!! I love that challenge!
Cute bear. I drew a lot of bears during my foray into visual arts because I got in the habit of posting them at the mailbox. I started back at the beginning of the pandemic when we were encouraged to put a stuffed bear in the window to facilitate families going on a bear hunt. None of my windows are visible from the street, so I made a bear for the mailbox post and, then, made new ones for new seasons and holidays. I have no idea if any of the kids in our neighborhood cared at all, but my elderly neighbor got a kick out of them, so I kept them going for over two years.