Humbled

This last week a friend of mine and I had the chance to try Plein Air painting for the first time. Up until this point, the closest I had ever painted in the great outdoors was in my backyard, and even that session was to work on a project I had started in the comfort of my indoors and without a time limit.

Should I have known better and practiced ahead of time under conditions different than I was otherwise used to? Probably.

But did I? No.

So for about 2 hours I attempted to sketch out a clocktower in the same way I typically start my portrait sketches, only to panic, erase half of it, and try again. Then in the last 15 minutes I threw on some color. It was about that time I realized that I was out of time, so instead of giving this beautiful clocktower, the numbers, and hands it deserved, I painted it solid and called it a day.

Despite how quickly watercolor tends to dry, my painting was definitely not dry. So it air dried, as it flapped in the wind behind me, as we ran towards the final checkin booth.

Alas…my painting did not win any prizes that day… not even for the beginner section. But if ever there was a prize for Plein Air painter who has no idea what they are doing… I have triumphed!

I hope you laughed as much as I did at the whole situation.

Love,
Julie

P.S. I entitled the piece “No Time”

Rest

Rest doesn’t come naturally for me. Maybe it is because of my Asian upbringing, or maybe it is because I am a recovering perfectionist. I am still very much in the recovery process of recovering. But then again in other areas I seem to be a type “B” or “C” or sometimes even a type “D”? Hello laundry that is calling my name to be folded!

For so long I took pride in burning the candle at both ends. Because that was what would make me successful, right? That was what was going to make me good at what I did? But as I get older, I am finding myself getting quieter, observing more, and leaning into my limitations. It has made me think more about how grateful I am that God has no limits, and I can rest knowing that if I let go, He is still in control. I find myself showing up to do my best, then trusting that God can do a far better job with what little I have to offer to begin with.

Rest can look so different depending on many factors. Your season of life, the support system you may or may not have, your community, and whether or not you have people that rely on and need you to care for them, all have a part in how rest plays out for you. In this season, rest for me often looks like going to bed an hour earlier, because my daughter is an EXTREME early riser, and I want just a few quiet moments in God’s Word before I am needed. Sometimes it means asking for help rather than trying to “do it all”. And sometimes it means admitting that I need a break when my default is to power through. None of these things are extravagant, but they have changed how I show up.

I find that I have a greater capacity for important things when I have rest. I have the capacity to appreciate my life for exactly what it is. I have the capacity to notice smaller details whether that be in art, music, or the conversations I have with the people around me. I also have a better chance of showing up, mentally present for my loved ones when I am rested.

No matter what life looks like for you right now, I hope you are able to find a moment of pause.

Much Love,

Julie

P.S. This little set of watercolor illustrations I shared over on my Insta are of my sweet kitty, Ella. If I sit down to rest or read a book, I know that within 5 minutes, she will be in my lap, curled up and purring.

Gratitude

It feels strange that I should be “allowed” to have a blog. I don’t feel that I have anything particularly profound to say. And I definitely don’t feel as though I am qualified to write. But I do know that God has been so good to me… both in giving me abundant blessings and hard lessons learned. If I am to write anything at all, I hope it points you to Him.

So here it goes. A whole page dedicated to my ramblings on what I am learning, painting as an act of worship, and thoughts this quiet introvert sometimes fails to express.

Thank you for being here!

Much Love,

Julie