We are fast approaching the new beginning as Covid cases are becoming less everyday and places are opening again. Some people would say we are approaching the end of a horrific era. I guess it depends on how you look at things. I have been trying to be more positive with my words and thoughts these days because I feel it makes a difference. When I say a new beginning it makes me feel good about the future.
It is amazing how your outlook on little things can affect how you move forward in your everyday activities. For instance, I finish a painting and I see it as an opportunity to start another. That was not always the case. Afterwards I would spend time looking for imperfections even though I was satisfied, prolonging the final varnish and sometimes retouching it several times. I no longer do that but rather start looking for the next inspiration and put the finished one aside. That’s the key – recognizing that what you have done is finished and move on.
Know that everyday “you can’t change what happened, but you can still change what will happen”. I came across this quote recently and had to catch my breath when I recognized the person who said it. The person wasn’t a writer or a philosopher, it was a young German Race Car driver for Ferrari, Sebastian Vettel. A name I was familiar with because my husband often spoke about racing. Formula-1 and Kart racing was a passion for him- a hot topic almost every day in our household- but we never discussed a driver’s inward thoughts. This would have been a discussion I would love to have had in his lifetime. We never seemed to have the need for profound conversations.
Having someone around you that understands and believes in you makes life seem easier and worthwhile during the pandemic. It is a wonderful feeling, it changes the perspective of yourself and it also makes you comfortable which in turn can make you complaisant. That comfortable feeling might keep you from starting or thinking of something new. “Life is the creation of the mind” says Buddha. One thing is for sure – when I am open to new possibilities, I can think more creatively. My advice to you as we enter a new era is to try and recognize patterns and once you do then don’t get stuck in them. The same goes for creating art – the ability to see things in a new way is vital for the creative process. So with that I say … in with the new and out with the Covid.
Image - “A Covid Story”. Acrylic medium on canvas, by Fatima Learn, 2020