Our guest writer this month is Jennifer. Jennifer shares her advice on how to bring out “The Creative You” through painting.

Hi! I started painting regularly a few years ago and I’m just getting to where it’s really really fun!!! That’s not true, it’s been fun all along the way (some moments and paintings more fun than others!) but now I’m feeling like a painter! Bev asked what advice I’d give to someone wanting to start out really enjoying a creative passion. First of all do it with a friend! My friend Monika and I signed up for painting classes and have gone through it all together.  We build up and feed off of each other’s creative energy, exchanging ideas, opinions, links, going to shows together, and talking and laughing about it all over lots of cups of coffee and chai!!  It seems easier to allow and honour that painting time when you’ve got a friend doing the same beside you. So second, give yourself time! A weekly class or painting time makes it happen, let’s you know that no matter what else is going on in life you have those few hours at least to let yourself paint and create.

And also give yourself time in that it’s going to take a while before you start painting things you like and finding your own style.  It’s all good! And that leads to thirdly, go easy on yourself. I spent a year creating so-so paintings but nothing I ultimately wanted to hang on my wall.  Had the feeling I was putting in worthwhile time ‘moving paint’ though, and suddenly things clicked and I started doing paintings I was happy with, and was able to start challenging myself other ways.  I painted over the old yucky ones and leaped into trying new colours, sizes, brushstrokes, and subjects. Everything! It fills me up and makes me grin! Have fun with it!