Wonders with art - the gate is open

Smitten by the reconnection with that inner voice.

I guess I knew I have always had it, be it in forms of drawings, writing, calligraphy, painting and more: to find outlets to express those inner thoughts and emotions.

But then all those attachments we get in life do get in the way. When we are busy running errands, dialling in from one meeting to another, putting presentations together thinking about the delivery, whilst at the back of the mind planning what dinner to cook for the evening, have meant we get very little headspace to answer to that inner voice.

Staying consistent with the theme of Midlife Wonders, I bring my stories here to share what I have discovered during this halt to life that pandemic has created for everyone, and I have discovered what power and strengths that headspace can give to me. During the country's third lock down, which lasted for 5 months (the last couple of weeks was self imposed though), I rekindled with my art for painting.

Since the start of Midlife Wonders, I have made this one of the seven wonders but had been procrastinating all this while. Significant progress were made with all other six wonders except for this. To the point I started asking myself why: a bit of can't be bothered-ness? Fear of not matching the self expectation? Turned out, I just didn't quite know how to, and where to start.

I love flowers, so I started painting something simple. One painting lead to another, I started getting into a streak and dedicated my weekend afternoons, sitting quietly, concentrating on studying how the colours and strokes are applied, planning for the sequence of execution, clearing out the thoughts, breathing calmly, then execute.

One day, I realised, I have subconsciously replaced the time I would otherwise be climbing, with painting, and that the process (highlighted above) is almost the same! Except with painting, you get to "finish the project" in a condensed time window, producing an even greater sense of satisfaction.

This is a priceless discovery for my Midlife Wonders journey. The quest is to find the path to liberate myself from running the (corporate, or, life) race that every body is running but most of us don't know why we are running it. I thought being a full time rock bum is the only way. But slowly, those dialogues with my inner voice has enabled me to be more and more opened minded about the shape of this future, and to be curious about the "what else-se" so that I am not fixated on what just the things I once believed are right. Rock climbing still holds a very importance place in my life, but what I am taking away from it is, the lesson it has taught me how to show up at my best and in finding what I want in life. It is about accepting myself with imperfection and let go of control, so that I can live a simpler but meaningful life.

Now the quest has gone deeper into finding the things I can do to create more meaning to life, and I am excited to see what Midlife Wonders will unfold for this wandering mind.