As an extreme extrovert living with two introverts, I often find myself struggling to sit still and watch TV for more than a few minutes. My husband kept encouraging me to “find a hobby” so I’d have something to do when they needed their quiet time. Yes, I’m known for “poking the bear” in those moments!
So, I decided to give acrylic art a try. I never thought I had an artistic bone in my body; I did not enjoy art in school at all, and avoided anything that required creativity. But to my surprise, I’ve really enjoyed it! I’ve learned to stop overthinking and just go with the flow. My best friend Leah, a brilliant artist, once told me, “Just put paint on a brush and paint; it’s that simple.”
Her advice made me realise that I needed to let go of perfection and simply enjoy the process. So, I enrolled in a basic community art class to learn the fundamentals – colour mixing, brush techniques, and to get some extra “peopling” in my life.
The Monday morning class has been great! As the youngest participant by far, I’ve enjoyed sipping tea, munching on old school Arnott’s biscuits, and learning to paint. It’s taken me five years to embrace a hobby, but now that I’m semi-retired, this feels like a perfect fit.