I promised to post more, regularly. I will.

Thanks to Sharon for prodding me into another post.I draw all the time. I think about painting… all the time. I think I agree with Jocelyn, that it’s an experienced ’skill’ thing. When I draw there is seldom much difference between what I meant to ’say/show’ and what is evident from the work. My paintings don’t yet measure up to that standard as often as I’d like. Therefore I do fewer paintings because they ‘worry’ me with their lack of congruency.

Anyone who, as an adult, has studied a new language should recognize the experience. In the beginning, pronunciation is so poor and vocabulary so small that you don’t talk much – there’s all that ‘judgement’ out there (and all that ego in here). However, when our children are learning language, we think their mistakes are cute. We laugh or smile, and so do they.

When we, as adults, can only string simple words together, often incorrectly, our egos are wounded by the laughter even when we survive the scrutiny. I think we encounter some of the same hurdles as we develop art skills.

The trick, I’m beginning to understand, is to come from behind the ego and blurt out all those sincere mispronunciations and misunderstandings we commit to canvas and board, and enjoy the attention while we absorb the corrections.