It Felt Like Coming Home
Finding purpose, taking imperfect action, and discovering the freedom to be yourself.
There are moments in life when something shifts. You discover something that feels so right, so natural, that you wonder why it took you so long to find it.
For me, discovering painting and combining art with personal growth was like coming home.
It was fulfilling and rewarding in a way I hadn’t experienced before. I loved what I was doing, and I knew I wanted to share that experience with others.
It had changed my life for the better. Why couldn’t it do the same for someone else?
Taking Imperfect Action
I’ve always loved a challenge.
Years ago, I decided I wanted to teach abstract painting. There was just one little problem: I’d never painted an abstract painting myself!
My painting style had gradually evolved from realism toward abstraction. I was increasingly interested in simplifying what I saw, removing unnecessary detail, and keeping only the essence.
I still love paintings in which you can recognize the subject, but much of the detail has been edited out. I sometimes describe my preference as being about 75% toward abstraction.
So I put an abstract painting class on the schedule.
Then I started researching, practicing, experimenting, and developing the material.
That’s how I’ve approached many of my classes over the years. From intuitive painting to flowers, still lifes, and abstraction, every new subject offered another opportunity to learn.
Some of those subjects I taught successfully for years. Eventually, I was ready for another challenge.
I have a saying: Take imperfect action.
It doesn’t mean being careless or unprepared. It means being willing to begin before you know exactly how everything will turn out.
What If There Were No Failures?
People sometimes proudly describe themselves as perfectionists.
But perfectionism can also be fear in disguise. Fear of getting something wrong, being judged, or not meeting expectations.
That fear can stop us from trying anything new.
In painting, we have a wonderful way of removing that pressure.
We call our experiments studies.
Throughout art history, painters have made sketches, studies, and variations, exploring their ideas before creating finished works.
A study isn’t supposed to be a masterpiece. It’s an opportunity to investigate.
And as artists, we have artistic license. We can change colors, exaggerate shapes, leave things out, or take our paintings in an entirely unexpected direction.
We don’t even have to show our work to anyone!
A mistake may become a happy accident. An unexpected result may lead to an exciting discovery.
This is the power of reframing.
I’ve applied that same principle throughout my life and business.
I’ve tried many things. Some worked, many didn’t. But I never considered those experiments failures.
If something didn’t work, I learned something. I could cross that possibility off my list and move on.
Next!
An experiment that doesn’t work is still valuable because it tells us something we didn’t know before.
Staying True to the Vision
When I returned to the East Coast after spending time in Boulder, Colorado, I discovered that the environment was very different.
Boulder had been wonderfully open to the ideas and experiences that interested me. The Washington, DC, area had a different outlook at the time.
I had to adapt.
Over the years, my business took many forms. I explored different programs, classes, and ways of reaching people.
Not everything survived.
But I never lost sight of the bigger picture.
I was convinced that what I had experienced could make a meaningful difference in other people’s lives.
And it did.
Through art, coaching, and personal development, I’ve had the privilege of helping people discover new perspectives, gain confidence, and see possibilities they hadn’t recognized before.
The approach sometimes changed. The purpose remained.
Stay true to your vision, but flexible in your approach.
That philosophy has served me well.
The Freedom of Finding What You Love
One of the greatest discoveries I’ve made is what happens when you find something you genuinely love doing.
Something that feels like what you were born to do.
For me, it felt like coming home.
I discovered a sense of fulfillment that didn’t depend on recognition, applause, or someone telling me I was successful.
Of course, it’s wonderful when people appreciate what you do. But that appreciation is no longer necessary to feel good about yourself.
You know you’re doing something meaningful because you experience it from within.
And with that comes an extraordinary sense of inner strength.
A quiet confidence that doesn’t depend on the opinions of others.
You become more willing to take chances, try something unfamiliar, and change direction when necessary.
You stop worrying so much about whether every decision will turn out perfectly.
You trust yourself to figure things out.
And that is incredibly liberating.
Keep Exploring
I still love learning new things. I still enjoy challenging myself. And I certainly don’t expect everything I try to work out!
But I know that every experience teaches me something.
That’s why I encourage my students to experiment, to be curious, and to approach their paintings without the pressure of producing something perfect.
The lessons we learn in the studio can become valuable lessons for everyday life.
We can choose to look at obstacles differently. We can reframe our experiences. We can adjust our expectations and discover new possibilities.
And most importantly, we can give ourselves permission to begin.
Take imperfect action. Stay flexible. Go with the flow.
You don’t need to know exactly where the road will lead.
Sometimes the most important thing is simply to start walking.
And who knows?
You might discover that you’re on your way home.
What is something you’ve always wanted to try but haven’t yet given yourself permission to explore?
