You’re inspired by ME?! Likewise.

Having just recently taken a step from anonymously painting alone, or painting once a week in an adult-ed class, to being what I’ll call “out and about,” I’ve been shocked to find that people think I know what I’m doing. And even more jarring, they have been inspired by me.

On the one hand, I certainly do know what I’m doing. I’ve been painting a dozen years. I have developed my own unique style. I have a dedicated studio room in my home. I know what Alizarin-Crimson, Cadmium Red Light, and Pthalo Green are.

But despite all this, on some levels I feel like a newbie.

• I’ve never stretched my own canvas.
• I’ve never done a mixed-media work.
• I don’t know how to price my work (or perhaps I do, but I’d like to earn more than the market and protocol suggests).
• I never went to art school.
• I just learned about the existence of Zinc White!
  (How could I have not known about a semi-transparent, mixing white acrylic paint?! All this time, I’ve only had Titanium White. A current instructor said-- Not to worry. He’d had a similar late-discovery of Zinc White. Incidentally, he also told me about a painter who exclusively painted in white, but that’s a whole ‘nother story.)
  

So, as a relative newbie and someone ignorant of Zinc White, you can imagine my surprise when other folks were inspired by me. It’s humbling, and uniquely, equally inspiring.

From Store Aisle to the Art Institute
While shopping for new supplies (including Zinc White of course) I met another artist, the woman helping me in the store. I was asking her about brands of paint, and we got talking a bit -- I’ve found I’ve become overly chatty since I began diving into my artwork; hence the blog. The blog also provides an alternative outlet vs. boring my husband to death with every art-related thought that my mind is currently exploding with.

But anyway, we got talking a bit, and I mentioned my class. She asked where I was taking it, and when I told her it was a continuing education class at San Francisco Art Institute, she was interested to hear more. She said that she too had always been impressed with that college and interested in their classes, but, we agreed, it was a bit of an effort, especially getting up there from the peninsula area. She said she was inspired by my enthusiasm with this class. "Now I’m inspired to think I too can take a class up there soon," she said.

If You Can Share, Maybe I Can Too
During my first artist reception, a friend said, “This is so exciting for me. It’s really inspiring.” He has been writing a book, but he said he hasn’t yet shared it with anyone. “It’s great to see you sharing you work with people,” he said.

This kind of feedback and enthusiasm makes me realize that, while there is much for me to learn and a vast world of art yet to explore and develop... I’m doing it. All of a sudden, I’m doing it. People are inspired and proud and enjoying it. And so am I!

Art can be an internal, lone endeavor, but it’s also about sharing and impacting. I’ve been surprised to find that I’ve already reached a few people.

When a friend told me the other day that she was proud of me, and brought me a beautiful bouquet of roses at my reception, I felt perhaps a bit proud, certainly very appreciative, and also humble. It’s an interesting mix of sensations that makes me feel both centered and like I’m floating on air.

It’s mutual inspiration.