So it’s Groundhog’s Day and to no surprise, considering I woke to the overcast skies and the inch or so of snow on the ground, Phil has seen his shadow and there shall be another six weeks of winter. Though I still find it strange we dictate science and nature through a groundhog, I think many of us knew this would be the outcome. It’s the repetitive joke during this time of pandemic, shutdowns, and stay at home orders that we’re all Bill Murray in the movie, captured within the walls of our homes and cut off from what once was the hustle and bustle of active and connective life, another six weeks feels daunting. But I think I’ve finally reached the point of decision Bill Murray does when he miraculously learns the piano, french poetry and ice sculpting through the repetitive nature of reliving the same day. It’s time to push myself to immerse myself in something new.

I started teaching myself watercoloring in April of 2020. I thought it would help get me through the slump of time away from work, which I thought would only last a couple months (oh how I laugh at that thought now). Little did I know 10 months later it would be the main form of expression keeping me sane. However, I’ve hit the limit on how much I can do with the limited foundational knowledge I have on painting.

Now I may not be able to knock on the door of a piano teacher and offer her $1,000.00 for an hour lesson as Bill Murray’s character did, but I can go online and find a developed course (at a discounted rate) to jump into rather than binging another episode of Bones for the gazillionth time.

Today I jumped into learning, starting two courses through Udemy, an online learning school with courses on a variety of topics to explore. I chose two courses: The Drawing Master Class and The Watercolor Painting Series, both for beginners and both by the same instructor who goes by the name The Art Mother. So far, I’ve only made it through the introductions to each course, and I’ve realized a few new art supplies will be needed to fully immerse myself in the drawing course, but I hope these courses will provide a boost in my creative expression, a better understanding of patience, and a project to fill my day, explore my new found intrigue and stress relief in watercoloring, while giving me a finished product at the end (an art students journal of drawing and painting). I’ve never taken a course online before, preferring the social interaction within the one on one classroom format, but in times of need you sometimes have to move out of your comfort zone.

I’ll keep you posted along the way of my creations within this new learning experience, and you can always follow my crazy adventures here or on Instagram. But I’d love to hear from you. I wonder how many of us are doing this in 2021? That depression and isolation in 2020 that many felt (or are still feeling) and we’ve had enough. Who else is taking small steps to get out of the funk? Who, besides me, started a new project or creative journey they never anticipated they would try and want to learn more? Are you also wondering where will it lead each of us? If you’d like to share what you’ve been learning during this time and how you’re finding new methods to delve deeper into expanding your creative expression, I’d love to hear about it. As I’ve learned sometimes seeking advice and knowing you’re not alone is exactly what we all need in this time.

PS. I’m happy to report I’ve made it through 33 days of my new year resolution to write and read for at least 20 minutes a day. The twenty minutes made it seem possible to fit into the day. Only 332 more days to go 🙂