I remember someone laughing at the picture of a house I'd drawn, when I was 6 years old. He said it looked like an umbrella, with the stairs curved like an umbrella handle.
It was indeed funny. But I felt so hurt, I never attempted serious drawing again.
My art teacher did compliment me some days.
"Why don't you come home for classes?" he asked.
I didn't think I had it in me.
So I somehow managed to pass my drawing exams in school. The butterfly looked like a bird, the bird like an aeroplane.
"These are warm colors, here are cool colors." the teacher went on.
I hated colors.
He failed to motivate me.
School over, college done. I tried to dab with fabric paints a little. It was nice. But I quickly gave up.
Years went by. One night I had a dream. Holding a paint brush in my hand, I was painting on a white sheet of paper.
I dismissed it. Must be some weird idea in the subconscious, I thought.
Slowly I realized I was getting drawn to art. A colorful picture, a scenic setting had me spell bound gazing at it for hours.
My kids asked me to draw pictures for them as part of their project. I began to draw.
Hey, I could! I noticed, surprised.
Kids complimented me. So their work piled up on my table.
Figures, flowers, lines and curves began to fascinate me.
Kids no more in school, with nothing else to do, one day I took up some paints, splashed them all around. Some pink, dabs of white here, not to forget the yellow there...
A lovely picture emerged. I pasted it on the cupboard.
I loved to get the "who's the artist here?" compliment.
But I often wonder why I didn't really believe in my talent all along? Why did it take me so much time to come to this point?
Was it the mockery of my drawing by that fellow that put me off so completely?
Did God have to tap me on my back, with His wordless dream, prodding me with "You can do it. You have it in you?"
A picture speaks louder than a thousand words. That's why dreams are so very amazing.
How many talents lie hidden in disgruntled folk! If only someone could encourage them into existence.
It's so important to encourage, to rev people up.
Let's do it to someone today.
So you too paint?? ^_^