Taking a step.

Some days are daunting. It may start ok and then something hits us that we don’t know how to get over, or perhaps the idea of taking even one step out of bed seems overwhelming.

Winters are ridiculous. They are full of beauty and pain for me. The days start off cold, dark and sharp. I look at forecast to plan the day, is there frost? Will I need layers, boots, extra pain medication to handle the colds affect on my nerves? And yet, the snow is a blank canvas allowing possibility. New paths, new steps forward.

Somedays art flows and other days I sit and look at the white possibilities of a blank canvas and have no idea what my first step will be. Will there be beauty or pain? I have no plan, no forecast to follow. Or an idea is there, but I am daunted by the blank white page, afraid.

I currently have 6 large 300 pound 20x30 sheets of cotton professional quality watercolour paper sitting beside my painting table that I was so excited to use, once... but until today I didn’t even take out of the packaging. I tell my watercolour group that there is no mistakes, just new adventures. To focus on the journey, enjoy the process. Which is fine when I am safely working on my 140 pound intermediate grade paper. I can enjoy the experience and learn from it. The paper isn‘t a vast blank surface. Daunting.

Today we had a guest presentation at our art class teaching Zen Tangle. And the surface they work with? Small squares. Not as daunting.

And from that we put four simple dots near each corner in pencil, link them using straight or curved lines, and then divide the space again into smaller segments using more lines called strings. And those small steps create a map, a forecast that allows the person to be creative. They took that first step.

So I am taking my step inspired by today‘s class. I have a blank square made from my new high end paper. Four dots, a frame and my strings.

I have no idea yet what I am creating. But I will breath, relax and remember that can take my time, put on my metaphorical boots and take the first step out into the fresh white surface.