Well, this has been a season of new things. First of all, I got my hair done last Friday, new cut and color and highlights. Yes, I know I said I was proud of my gray hairs and that I'd earned every one of them. But when your husband says, "Why don't you use some of our stimulus check to go get your hair done?", you don't hesitate! And I'm so glad I did. I look 10 years younger and it also encouraged me to start taking better care of my skin again and putting on makeup more often. I guess it's kind of like Flylady's principle of the "shiny sink". If you clean your sink to perfection, it motivates you to make the rest of the kitchen match your sink.
I also picked back up on two old hobbies. I've been enjoying them alot because I think these are the only skills I've honed since I don't know when that are simply for my own enjoyment (as opposed to cooking or gardening, etc., which tend to be motivated by wanting to be a better housewife and better serve my family.)
First, I picked my guitar back up. And I was nervous about taking this instrument back into my hands because it has caused pain and suffering before. I've struggled with carpal tunnel syndrome over the years and I always had to give up because playing would make my hands start going numb. But this time--and I don't know if it's because I prayed for healing or if it's because I've finally been focussing on correct form--my wrists and hands have not suffered a bit from playing! I've really been enjoying playing and have started to finally get a feel of what it must feel like just to play for enjoyment.
See, I first picked up guitar because I wanted to impress the adorable Derek English who led worship at U.T. in the Campus Crusade meetings. Oh, he was so cute! But not cute enough, I guess, to motivate me to overcome the pain of learning awkward chords and the pain in my fingertips.
Then I continued guitar after that because I was forced to be the worship leader for the youth at a church at which was summer intern. Our college pastor (back when Hyde Park had one) told the education minister who was interviewing me that I played (which I only barely did) and when I knew that I HAD to lead worship at least once a week, I was suddenly motivated to practice.
I can't remember what my motivation was the third time I picked it up. I do remember that's when Nick and i dropped $200 on the guitar I now own and which has collected dust for several years.
But this time was purely out of a desire to finally work through the hard and unenjoyable part of learning a skill all the to the part where I actually played for enjoyment.
This was my motivation for picking up painting again as well.
I always was into drawing when I was a kid. And then one summer, I took a paint class. I used acrylics then. I had always wanted to learn because my grandmother on my father's side painted--and very well, I might add. But I only lasted for that summer.
Anyway, Carrie Allison said she was going to start a watercolor class and I said I'd be interested. She has since decided she's not going to do the class, but in the mean time, in preparing to become her student, I picked up a few instructional books to start playing around on my own and am already hooked! I'm only doing step by step paintings now, where I'm told exactly by someone else what to do and tends to me a more mechanical than creative exercise. But I know that once I learn the mechanics, I can start doing my own compositions. And I really enjoy painting, even when it's someone else deciding the subject matter.
Wow, I just suddenly got very sleepy. Well, good night!
1 comment:
How cool!! I just typed in your blog address to see if there was anything new -- and not only is there a brand new post, but your blog is no longer private! (Do you know how HARD it was to type in my username and password every time I wanted to look at your blog?? Oh, wait... I'm gonna have to do that to leave a comment, anyway... :))
It's so cool that you're playing guitar and painting again! (And I love your paintings, by the way! :))
Hope you'll post more soon!
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