The Moment I Discovered My Why
As I was preparing to retire from my career, I took a trip to Italy with my husband. We visited a quaint mountain town called Pettino, outside of Umbria. We stayed at an inn owned by an Australian artist named Nathan and his lovely wife Franchesca, whose family has been farmers in Pettino for generations. On the family farm, they hunt for truffles and graze sheep, cows, and goats. They make pecorino cheese, salami, prosciutto, and other traditional delicacies.
It was so peaceful and idyllic! What struck me most of all was the traditional, simple way of life that Nathan and Franchesca enjoyed.
We spent time with the innkeepers and their family, hunting for truffles with them and enjoying a delicious picnic. We sat on the mountainside, enjoying a brunch cooked on a portable grill: fresh scrambled eggs flavored with truffles and cold glasses of Prosecco. I can still taste the earthy taste of the truffles.
I sat feeling the cool mountain breeze in my hair and watched as the sheep and goats grazed nearby. I had a sudden feeling of clarity. Do you ever have those while on vacation? You step away from your life and it gives you a bird’s-eye perspective on it.
In this moment of clarity, I saw what I wanted to do for the next phase of my life: to embrace my art and to create a beautiful, simple life where I create art and teach other artists.
This clarity didn’t stay in Italy after our trip: In fact, it has become my North Star, guiding all my actions in the years since then. I’d been a painter my whole life, but I took a deep dive into it when I retired and gained more technical knowledge. I created time and space in my life to become the artist I wanted to be. And then I started to share my knowledge with other artists, through classes, my membership program for artists called The Painterly Way, and one-on-one art coaching and mentoring.
I discovered that sharing my creativity with others is what drives me to create more art.
I see the discovery of my why as the result of a lifelong process. The day I retired from my full-time career was the day I became my own person again. I completely reset my life so I could focus on my personal needs and desires, in particular my artistic desires. My life truly revolves around art now, and I’m as happy and at peace as I was sitting on that mountainside in Italy!
What about you? I’d love to hear about a moment in your life when you felt the calling to go all-in on your art, or when your why became crystal-clear to you.
And if being an abstract painter is part of your why, I hope you’ll consider joining me in an online workshop, The Painterly Way membership when it reopens to new members, or in one-on-one coaching and mentoring (I’ve got a special price on coaching running in March—check it out here!). I invite you to explore my offerings!
My artistic dream came true and I’m living a life that aligns with my Why. I’d love to help you do the same!
A Creative’s Exploration Guide
This free, step-by-step guide will help you progress in your creative journey.
Grow as an artist by building a solid foundation in your painting practice. Develop your confidence. Then, if you choose, charter a thriving creative business to call your very own.