A little push in the right direction!

As an art major, sometimes it is tough to constantly find new inspiration for my artwork, and it is not uncommon for me to find myself in a rut. After 12 hours of mandatory painting every week, it can be difficult for me to find the motivation to go into the studio on the weekends! Needless to say, when my painting professor suggested that our class take a field trip to his studio downtown to look at some of his artwork in place of our regular 3 hour painting time, I was absolutely delighted (not to mention relieved...I had been dreading that class all day)! When we arrived and this shabby old run-down studio, I was instantly affected by the positive atmosphere. The space was filled with passionate artists all exploring their own ideas, and it was apparent that they were enjoying their time with the paint and canvas, completely at peace with what they were creating. "This is what it should feel like...", I thought. After hearing my professor talk about his own work, his techniques, and his inspirations, I was all jazzed up, and couldn't wait to start exploring some of my own ideas in the same way. Although I did not do any painting that day, I feel that the little outing we took was much more productive and worthwhile than 3 hours of studio time would have been, and I am so grateful for the enjoyable (and necessary) nudge in the right direction. From this experience I learned that all you really need to get back on track (in any facet of life) is a little bit of inspiration!

Here is one of my professor's paintings...SO COOL!

Not all who wander are lost?

For some reason I have always had an irrational fear of getting lost. This may be due to my complete lack of any sense of direction, or the fact that living in Tucson has conditioned me to be constantly aware of my surroundings for my own safety. Either way, I am beginning to understand that to be lost may not be as awful or formidable as I believed it to be. As I reflect on all of the instances in which I have found myself to be "lost", whether literally (driving in an unfamiliar area), or figuratively (as I struggle with an important decision), I have always come out of the experience with a new sense of self-awareness, learned a valuable lesson, and (in some cases) I am pleasantly surprised by a new discovery. Whether that discovery be the realization that I am a strong individual who is capable of more than she thought possible, or stumbling upon a beautiful spring while wandering in nature, I am beginning to conquer my fear. In less than a year I will be graduating college, and I will be faced with several important decisions. I have always been the kind of girl who likes to stay in her comfort zone, but the more I think about my plans for the future, I realize that I do not want to be afraid to take risks because I am too afraid of the outcome. This is a little reminder to myself to not fear the future because "It's better to travel and get lost than never to travel at all."