I was at Michaels the other day, standing in one of the many aisles, perusing art supplies and all the colored pencil kits and watercolor sets that I dreamed of being able to afford someday. I loved this place and all the possibilities it offered, and I just knew if I ever got my act together and my priorities straight, that someday I could be an expert in using all the supplies I loved with my rainbows of colorful supplies. However becoming quite skilled in all these areas would take a lot of time, which I didn’t have. It was going to be perfect… someday. For now I had to watch my money and since I already had several un-used rainbow pencil kits at home, I decided I should probably add a new one to my collection quite yet.
Then another customer turned down the aisle, and something about her stopped me in my tracks. Was it the whimsical hairstyle she wore, the joy and freedom and lightness in her step, her beautiful easy smile…I’m not sure, but there was something familiar about her… she leaned over and reached for 2 colored pencils and a Micron pen in the open stock part of the aisle and then turned to me and said, “What are you hoping to create?” “Hm,” I said, “I’m not really sure yet.”
“Well, what colors do you tend to reach for?” To which I responded I had no idea, don’t artists use all of them? She had a gentle kind smile as she responded, “Maybe some do… but a lot, including me, tend to reach for certain colors we love over and over again, so it depends.” “So you are an artist?” I verified. She nodded and then added, “artist, writer, singer, learner, dancer, minimalist,… the list goes on.” That struck a chord with me for all those things were things I someday dreamed of doing and learning… I knew I should have started sooner. I remonstrated myself.
“How do you find time for it all and how did you get there?” I queried, leaning in. Her smile deepened, “Well, it wasn’t overnight, originally I thought I needed all the sets too. But then I realized I didn’t have to be an expert in everything to enjoy it. That for me the fun was in learning, discovering, creating etc. and the finished piece was no longer that the definition of my success. Also, you have to start somewhere and different seasons of life hold different amounts of time and opportunities to devote to hobbies and something you love, so its okay to switch it up and add or subtract and the more you actually start spending time in each of these areas, the sooner you come to learn your tastes and dislikes and more about yourself in these pursuits. Also,” she leaned in conspiratorially , “You can change at any time and allowing yourself to change and grow and think differently is part of the magic. Make good things. Bad things. Mediocre things. The gift is that we get to create and make. Somedays I watercolor a watermelon because it brings me joy, other days I practice with colored pencils or stamps. You don’t have to be an expert in every facet of each hobby to be an artist or hobbiest. And you get to choose to make space in your life for what matters by letting go of things that don’t, I’ve learned. I find when things are simple and less I do better as opposed to be being overwhelmed by so many options at once. And it’s great to be a beginner, because there is so much joy in discovering something that’s about to change your life for the better! You have time, just be willing to ask good questions and don’t stress.”
I stared at her completely dumbfounded. This woman in a matter of minutes had totally changed the way I thought in so many areas of my creative life. “You seem familiar… do I know you?” I finally bravely asked. She nodded with a twinkle in her eye. “I should say so, I’m you from the future and also your fantasy self, the one that you always dreamed you would become.” “But wait,” I said in shock. “Where is your hat?” I asked because my fantasy self wears fun hats and this lady wasn’t. She laughed, “Oh, they are at home. I don’t wear them every day, but I do sometimes. I realized that idea of hats and sweet older ladies and other things I enjoyed was partially the whimsicalness of it all. And so I’ve found ways to add that in my life all over she said, gesturing to a hand-embroidered item on her jacket. “Another thing,” she said, reaching into her pocket and pulling her hand back out she showed me some pink glitter on her fingers. “One should always have a little pixie dust handy.” She then invited me out for coffee.
As we drank our coffee and chatted I noticed in her, some of the things I already appreciated about myself, but she had taken them to a whole new level and so much I still hadn’t that I wanted to put into place after spending time with her. So many things stuck out to me. She was kind. She talked encouragingly about herself and others. She was filled with joy instead of worry, she knew Who her identity was in. She laughed a lot and even could laugh at her own mistakes. She knew how to listen and thus when I admitted something heavy upon my heart lately, she leaned in and told me something I would never forget. “Lauren Love, you’ve been through so much in your young life and so many people have tried to impress their ideas and ideals upon you, but you get to decide what you want. You’ve got so many wonderful things ahead of you in life and the Loving Creator of the universe claims you as His. And also the sweet, kind child you were, has never left you inside even though you’ve been put in a lot of tough spots in life and had to handle things you weren’t always prepared for. Give grace, forgive, feel free to slow down, surrender and let God heal you. And remember Its Always Ok to Begin…”
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