Learning is Eternal

When I was a child, I thought by the time you reached 21 you knew all the answers to life. Growing up was hard, confusing, and difficult. Learning math was puzzling, so was figuring out why older kids and some adults were bullies. I never understood racism, I still don’t. When I would figure out the lessons, I would advance to the next level of school, physical changes, emotions. It seemed like there was so much to continually learn. I thought that by the time you finished college and your body was fully grown that you would have mastered all there was to know. I think I was about 8 or 9 when I believed this. Within a few short years I would discover how crazy that idea was.

Two separate experiences led me to embrace some personality traits that I carry to this day. I always liked to figure out how to do things. I would observe and set about trying and testing various possibilities. Growing up within a medical family I was always prompted to observe, diagnose, and solve. My Mother was a list-maker. She worked at the hospital and when I would get home from school there would be a list: homework, snack, chores, or other notes. I became both a problem solver and a list-maker. The highlight was marking off the to-dos on my list.

Jump forward several decades and I got a flash that my straightforward problem-solving attitude was not always welcome. I oversaw running a restaurant and I would come in with the to-do list for everyone. One day my co-worker asked why I was always so negative. I was dumbfounded since I consider myself a positively positive person. It turns out he had a different perspective of to-do lists than I did. I saw them as an opportunity, and he viewed them as a challenge. He felt I was always demanding of him and he didn’t feel appreciated. My wake-up call that everyone sees the world through a personal lens of perception.

A decade later my dear husband gave me a refresher course in that lesson. We were walking through our garden. It was springtime and I was busy noting, out loud, what all needed doing and fixing. There were some dead branches that needed pruning, the roses needed food and the irrigation system needed to be turned on. I was making a mental list, out loud. He asked, can’t you just appreciate the things that don’t need fixing or doing. I stopped. I usually do my gratitudes first thing in the morning and the final thoughts before I fall asleep. One of my biggest gratitudes is for the things that don’t need fixing. I do appreciate all that is working in the world, but my reality of analyzing clashed with his concept of appreciation. Here I was with the different point of view. Is it a challenge or an opportunity? I see a challenge as an opportunity, and this is a good thing for me. I realize that most people don’t see the world in this way. Maybe it has something to do with my wacky synesthesia wiring.

I sat with this for days and really looked at how I take different perspectives in various situations. When I am teaching a technique, I set out the steps to achieve the desired result. It’s like a recipe, you learn the steps, then you can improvise. When I am critiquing my work or others, I begin with what is working first. One of the lessons I always share with new artists is to view the work from every angle. Keep rotating it and looking at it even upside down. You will see what is off, like a line or shape. Sometimes the issue will be solved by turning the painting upside down. It worked for me once on an exceptionally large piece. My husband had suggested it and when I turned the painting upside down, he proclaimed it “fixed”. He too is an artist with a particularly good eye.

When looking at your work, always return to what is working, not the to-do list of challenges.

When a piece isn’t working like you envision, frustration sets in. This can lead to the perception of seeing the challenges as obstacles instead of opportunities. To change your perception, it may be necessary to turn your thinking upside down. Walk away and return the next day with fresh eyes and a new perspective. What is working and when something isn’t see the challenge as an opportunity to try something new. Let go of thinking you need to know the answer and embrace the unknown. I keep reminding myself of this and remembering that learning is eternal. Every new day presents a fresh opportunity.