2018 taught me, watercolor painting, flowers

I continue to enjoy the December Reflections 2018 daily prompts. Today’s prompt was 2018 Taught Me.

What 2018 Taught Me…

This prompt stimulated me to do a great deal of reflection. What did I learn in 2018? I believe that learning never ends and this year was no exception. I learned about turning 65, medicare, supplemental insurance, unconditional love, service, joy, acceptance, and compassion. Beauty and gratitude taught me joy. Old friends, family members and pets taught me about unconditional love. Contemplation and meditation taught me how to be fully present more of the time. Pain taught me about impermanence and acceptance.

My favorite learning of the year is what I’m learning about watercolor painting in the class I’m taking through community education. I’m having so much fun playing around with color, shapes, and figuring out how to achieve what I want to using watercolor paint.

It’s interesting to me that I’m not just learning about painting. I’m learning about myself as well, figuring out how to be willing to make mistakes, to totally and completely fail, to be patient and not hurry things, to be curious, open and persistent, and to stop comparing myself to others.

The importance of creating

This is why I believe making art and creating are so important for everyone. Creating helps us learn about ourselves and if we allow ourselves to let go of judgment and the need to be good or right or special, it teaches us how to be who we really are. It helps us to keep growing in whatever ways we need to grow.

Here is a rather long portion of a poem that speaks to how I feel about creating…

“… so this is for us.
This is for us who sing, write, dance, act, study, run and love
and this is for doing it even if no one will ever know
because the beauty is in the act of doing it.
Not what it can lead to.
This is for the times I lose myself while writing, singing, playing
and no one is around and they will never know
but I will forever remember
and that shines brighter than any praise or fame or glory I will ever have,
and this is for you who write or play or read or sing
by yourself with the light off and door closed
when the world is asleep and the stars are aligned
and maybe no one will ever hear it
or read your words
or know your thoughts
but it doesn’t make it less glorious.
It makes it ethereal. Mysterious.
Infinite.
For it belongs to you and whatever God or spirit you believe in
and only you can decide how much it meant
and means
and will forever mean
and other people will experience it too
through you.
Through your spirit. Through the way you talk.
Through the way you walk and love and laugh and care
and I never meant to write this long
but what I want to say is:
Don’t try to present your art by making other people read or hear or see or touch it; make them feel it. Wear your art like your heart on your sleeve and keep it alive by making people feel a little better. Feel a little lighter. Create art in order for yourself to become yourself
and let your very existence be your song, your poem, your story.
Let your very identity be your book.
Let the way people say your name sound like the sweetest melody.

So go create. Take photographs in the wood, run alone in the rain and sing your heart out high up on a mountain
where no one will ever hear
and your very existence will be the most hypnotising scar.
Make your life be your art
and you will never be forgotten.”
Charlotte Eriksson

That’s what 2018 taught me. What did 2018 teach you?

May you walk in beauty.

 


Marilyn

Photographer sharing beauty, grace & joy in photographs and blog posts. I live in the Twin Cites in Minnesota, the land of lakes, trees, and wonderful nature.

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