It was one of my greatest fears until curiosity peeped in and intervened and turned that fear into a hobby.  

Who would ever think that you can turn your fear into a hobby –  hobby that can lead you to the path to finding your passion, passion that bears the fruits of pure endless joy?

Art Scares Me

When my friends learned that I enrolled in an art class, they were all shocked, and had the same response, a big “WHAT!!!???”

Since elementary grades, I always had this fear of coming to our art class.  It instantly made me quiver and nervous.  I hated the idea of drawing, wasting time imagining things to create images, and I was so lacking when it comes to drawing figures and combining and mixing colors.  

When my kids were younger, I would sometimes feel guilty that whenever they would ask me to draw something for them, I would tell them to, “Just ask your dad to do that.”  It’s a shame always turning them down and not being able to teach them how to make even simple drawings.

Art expression stimulates narrative. Studies during the past decade underscore that art is not just a “right brain” activity, but actually a “whole brain” activity that stimulates language and storytelling. — Cathy Malchiodi PhD, LPCC, LPAT, ATR-BC, REAT

Is It Fate That Takes Its Course?

Until one day, I impulsively decided to attend an art class when I saw their advertisement from a magazine.  

I made my appearance on the first day of the class, still, with the same tension which I used to have during my grade school years.  I worried that I might be the oldest one there, that my classmates who were younger might make fun of me and my work. But it turns out that most of the people who enrolled also had the same curiosity as I did.  

The first time the instructor requested us to put out our pen and sketch pad, I saw my hands tremble in fears.  Raising panic began to control my thoughts. It took me a while to have the courage to draw the fruit on his table until I eventually managed to do it.  It’s not a beauty in itself yet, but deep inside me, I knew it’s the start.

Making a good decision requires us to know ourselves. We need to know the things we can live with, the things we cannot compromise on, and the things we can tolerate or get used to. — Nicole S. Urdang, MS, NCC, DHM

Building The Confidence

Months passed, I became less anxious, and I was able to take on complicated tasks our instructor was giving us, like painting gardens, landscapes, and sceneries.  I became more comfortable asking some questions and tips on how to mix and match colors, what better methods to follow in creating figures I want to make, how to better interpret the image in my mind.  

My instructor taught me more than one way to mix and match colors.  He told me that it matters that we understand our color wheel, our paints, and the kind of medium we choose to use.   In the world of art, it’s our own imagination. We have the free will to create anything we want, and we can convey and connect our ideas to people with the proper use of these colors.  When an artist makes that kind of connection to his audience, it enriches his soul.

Curiosity-Led Hobby

Reading about older people enrolling in art class triggered that curiosity in me and brought me back in time.   Is it indeed possible?

I did join the class, and I was happy I did it.  I found out that dealing with fears is possible, and you can even enjoy it, turning fear into a hobby.   

Art class didn’t only teach me new skills in painting. It taught me a life lesson – that we can overcome fears if we equip ourselves with knowledge.  

Creation of knowledge on your own is the best way to learn—children and adults alike will remember more, and know more deeply, material that they have taught to themselves over material explained to them. — Thalia R. Goldstein Ph.D.

Taking my brush to mix colors is a real joy.  With each stroke I make on the plain white canvass, I engage myself in something significant and matching contrasting color into one masterpiece gives my life a new meaning.