do the scary thing!
I’m scared of many things, spiders for one, I really am scared of spiders although I’m trying to make friends with them, as I love almost all other living things (just not the ones that bite).
So I’m not saying, necessarily to go bungee jumping or sky diving, I mean sure, go ahead but what I am really saying is that often the best things in life feel a bit scary in the beginning. That feeling of nervousness and being excited sits so closely to the feeling of fear in your gut.
let me tell you a story about a austrian girl working in fashion wholesale, about 17 years ago…
Back in my early twenties, when I was fairly new to living in Australia, I found myself working in this beautiful little cottage on Montague road, in a wholesale fashion agency, which I loved. And every day I would go in and out of this little Queenslander building and longingly look at the building next door, which happened to be the Art Shed in West End.
I’d look at the brave people going in and out of such a store, a store where wonderful things would be sold - pencils and paper; paints, brushes and canvasses…. I could only imagine how amazing it would be inside, like a magical wonderland.
So, did I go in? NO…. I worked next to this place for 2 and 1/2 years and never once set foot inside it!! WHY do you ask?
Because I thought ‘who am I to think I could be an artist?’ ‘who am I to think that I could just wonder into a shop which has the word ART on the sign’. Art or Kunst as it’s called in German is only for the elite few, the few super talented, artsy types but not really for me. I went to a five year art school and did quite well but I wasn’t one of those super talented people who create magic with a simple line or two. I had to work at it. So I thought that was that, go get a job and let this part of yourself go.
Fast forward a decade or so and I found myself in a place, after having kids, having a difficult time at work and we hosted a Paint and Sip event from work. I was a bit nervous about it, as I’ve not held a brush in ages but it was like riding a bike, it felt SO good and I stayed relaxed, as there wasn’t anybody there to grade my work, it was just a bit of fun.
Then I started to chase that feeling and did a few more little art courses, followed by a 3 day Abstract Art course at Brisbane Institute of Art and I have not looked back. I bought a very cheap, second hand easel on market place and painted and painted and painted…
And now, almost all my money goes to the Art Shed! I’m in there all the time… and I always look at the little cottage and at that window and I’m so grateful that I found the courage to go through those doors.
