“Life is a great big canvas. Throw all the paint on it you can.” – Danny Kaye

“I can’t draw a straight line, much less a painting,” I’ve said all my life.

And my artist friends have said back, “Anyone can,” while I have simply shaken my head, quietly knowing they have no idea.

And then, in mid-January, some girlfriends and I got this crazy idea to convene at Vino and Van Gogh where we had a little vino and were taught to paint a vase of flowers.

Since that night, I have not been able to stop drawing and painting. It has become a go to pass-time where I lose hours and hours in quiet spiritual time trying to understand what it takes to draw dimensions, to mix colors, to use different art mediums.

Since that night, I see the entire world differently. I stop on walks with my husband and friends and say, “Look at that flower!” “Look at the way the shadows drift over lawns and make the grass so many different colors.”

Since that night, I have appreciated the Divine more than ever before – amazed at the beauty around me all day long. I look more carefully at depths, shadows and colors and sometimes feel a little sad that I have hurried by most of my life like the White Rabbit in Alice in Wonderland, checking my watch ever mindful of the time, missing the sheer loveliness around me.

Recently, I apologetically shared a painting I did with an accomplished artist friend, saying, “It looks so amateurish,” to which he quickly responded, “Oh, I missed the part where you have become a professional artist.”

And a master artist, I realized, is not what I seek to be. However, what I appreciate about this fun new venture is how much I have learned.

Like I can paint a straight line and more.

Like I can use my brain to study and to begin to learn a new skill.

Like I see the world in a much more thoughtful and appreciative way.

Like the Divine loves us so much that She splashed beauty everywhere for our enjoyment. (And must it grieve Her that I have so long not paid more attention.)

So, I am going to look more carefully, splash more art on a canvas and be unconcerned about how it looks. Instead, I am going to relish the fact that it has opened my eyes more fully to this beautiful world and embrace the wonderful connection it gives me to The Greater Power.