The Very First Thing
...is to begin + replay + free lesson
This week, someone commented on one of my Instagram reels:
How cool is that? Not sure how to do it - doing it anyway.
That’s where your homecoming begins. Not in certainty or perfect conditions. But in the honesty of a humble beginning.
To begin is to give in to a knowing you’ve resisted for too long.
That’s why the first line in Mary Oliver’s poem, ‘The Journey’ (which is our guide this month) is “One day you *finally* knew what you had to do, and began.
Because let’s be real, it can take a while to tire of a status quo - sometimes it can take a whole lifetime.
I’m reminded of Marie. A 76 year old lady I befriended on retreat last year. We were paired to ask each other the question “why did you come here?”.
Her response floored me.
“I’m here to find the courage to finally admit that I am gay”
Finally: denotes the culmination of a long, often difficult wait.
A more accurate word could not have been chosen.
‘Finally’ here let’s us know that it has been long enough and the waiting must come to an end.
‘Finally’ has nothing to do with certainty, talent, skill or having the path forward figured out.
‘Finally’ is about the moment you stop pretending the answer is ‘try harder’.
There is one comfort, however: finally also usually means at least you can be sure you waited as long as you could before choosing whatever change has become necessary.
‘Finally’, is the point when you actually DO what is necessary because you finally understand that nothing will change, until you begin.
Want A Free Art Journal Lesson?
This July, I’m teaching at Make Create Express for its 10th anniversary along with 36 other artists, each of us with distinct approaches to creative practice.
My lesson is rooted in the question “What if the thing you think disqualifies you is actually your creative superpower?”
For years, I disqualified my art because I couldn’t draw, didn’t care about mastering the skill and had little patience for life drawing, something my brain experiences as a “boring” practice.
I thought those limitations meant I’d never be a ‘real’ artist.
I was wrong.
Because here’s what I know for certain: your creative practice is not something you have to earn your way into. It’s something you return to. Over and over. Exactly as you are.
Even - especially - when you’re not sure how.
Paying subscribers - thank you - scroll down for yesterday’s replay + upcoming dates.