![]() At the time of writing, this morning was the monthly paint out on a cold, windy and drizzly morning. It would have been oh, so easy to snuggle up in bed and not venture out into the Melbourne Autumn weather. Yet, eight of us rugged up, packed up art supplies and made our way to the park and gathered under the rotunda. We all came with varying degrees of art kits, chairs, cushions and layers. For some it was the first time to paint en plein air, for others, it was a familiar way to spend a Saturday. We were all there for the enjoyment of spending some time to indulge in our love of creating, being outdoors and most importantly connecting with like-minded creatives. The monthly paint out sessions is not about who makes the prettiest work, the best kit or has the best skills, it is about the enjoyment of connection, and the people, it is about painting and creating too. I believe the biggest benefit of the monthly paint out is putting ourselves in the priority seat. It's great to take two hours once a month on a weekend to say hey everyone “I’m not available on this morning, this is my morning of meeting up and doing what I enjoy.” The pleasure that is derived from being in the fresh air, chatting with familiar friendly faces and losing yourself on the page of the sketchbook is so fulfilling. Sharing ideas, tips, and stories and finding out more about each other is building a new group of people to enjoy. As we pack up and finish our hot drinks, the chatter reaches a crescendo of last-minute info and well wishes until the next time we meet. We all head off back to our various tasks for the day, helping each other to take our bits and bobs to the car, and then off we go. And that is what meeting monthly and painting outdoors is all about, painting, people and priorities. Do you want to join us? It’s free and everyone is welcome. Visit here to register for the next one.
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![]() "The stories of our mind, become the stories of our lives." I'll never forget this saying; from the CEO of a company, I was involved with a few years back. What we feed ourselves comes out in our skin, hair, nails and our figure. Yes, let me tell you, I have a sweet tooth and know if I give in to the chocolate cravings, the scales find out very quickly. So too is what we feed our brain. You know, the little nasty conversations we have with ourselves. Those snippets of useless information such as, I'm not good enough, no one will like this, I have no talent, I'm a fraud, I'm useless at this. Toxic conversations we have with ourselves. We would never talk to our best friend, family member or neighbour this way, yet we allow ourselves to participate in this one-way hurtful conversation. What if we turned the conversation on ourselves and spoke as though we were speaking to our nearest and dearest, replacing admonishment with praise? Hurt for joy, negative for positive, sadness for happiness? Imagine how we would feel about what we do in life. It doesn't matter if we're talking about creating art, gardening, writing or any matter of hobbies or tasks. Being kind to others starts with being kind to ourselves. Next time you are about to have a nasty conversation with yourself, take a breath and replace the negative chitty-chatter with a healthy dose of positivity and praise. You know you can change your story, it might just change your life. Do you have positive conversations with yourself? How do you stop negative self talk? Let us know in the comments below. |
AuthorLee Cummins is a mixed media artist, workshop and art class facilitator. Archives
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