A few months ago I had the opportunity to attend a women’s conference in my area. The entire program was phenomenal. As part of the conference, every participant was given the supplies to create a painting. An instructor presented step-by-step directions to us with the help of a projector and microphone. Samples were scattered throughout the room. We all felt like artists creating our masterpieces.
Our subject was a pineapple. Every pineapple painting in the room was patterned after the instructions given by the woman at the front of the room. And yet, every single pineapple looked different. Some looked dramatically different, others had slight variations in color and design. It was so much fun.
As the conference day came to an end and I was walking around talking with some of the women seated at other tables, I came across two of my friends who were toting their blank canvases. I was curious. I knew they didn’t arrive late. They were there at the same table the entire time. So why hadn’t they painted? What had they done during all of that time? These are women I love and respect. They are both so creative I was just sure their paintings would have been incredible. I wondered what had prevented them from enjoying the activity.
So I asked.
One friend said that she was afraid her project would take her too long and she didn’t want to start it only to have to take it home to finish. She knew she would never finish it at home.
The other friend said, “Because I’m old enough now that I don’t have to do things that make me look stupid anymore.”
With their perfectly reasonable excuses, they sat at their table and watched and commented to each other and to the people at their table about what they were observing.
My mind raced as soon as I got in the car. I wrote some thoughts down. I didn’t want to forget.
That day I had been a participant in the activity and didn’t care if my end result turned out “just right” or if I would look stupid. I just gave it a shot. And while it’s not going up in any art galleries, I think it turned out looking like a pineapple! I count that as a success
Last week I shared how important it is to find things in our lives that we love. This week I echo those sentiments. But with additional encouragement.
Don’t be afraid.
Don’t be afraid if the thing you want to try seems too big. Who says you have to finish it? Just give it your best shot.
Don’t be afraid of looking stupid. I get it. It’s scary when your heart tells you to do something new or more public than you’ve done before. I still cringe before I hit “publish” on every single blog post. Or every time I share something I’ve written with a critique group, an agent, or a friend. But I am doing things I love and the joy that comes from doing them—even the futile first draft attempts—far outweighs the fear and insecurities that make me want to recoil.
My pineapple painting isn’t perfect. But I made it. It’s hanging nearby on a wall in my little office. The women’s conference theme was based on pineapples: stand tall, wear a crown, and be sweet on the inside. And as much as I love that, my pineapple painting has come to serve as a different reminder to me.
It reminds me to keep trying. It reminds me that in order to invite joy into my life I will occasionally have to experience discomfort and take risks. And it will be worth it.
