Saturday, October 15, 2022

A Fresh Coat of Paint

 

Dr. Thompson and I moved to the Hudson Valley in 2015. Even back then, the 1820 barns had a faded look. I imagined this was just the patina of age, but to be honest, in recent years, things on the farm were beginning to look a bit rough around the edges.

And so we decided to start small. We hired a local carpenter to fix our front steps. And then, the rain gutter needed to be replaced, because the water from the old gutter spilled right on top of the wooden steps. Most of the time, this wasn't a big deal, but in the winter when the stairs iced up--it was downright treacherous. And so the carpenter built new steps and installed a new copper rain gutter. And then, along with this, he added new pipe-style railings and finally finished with a fresh coat of paint.

One thing lead to another, and we were inspired to get the red barns painted. They look nice, don’t they?

And so, yes. Everything around La Belle Farm is looking very fresh and new, and interestingly enough, I've experienced a renewed sense of creativity.

But, it all began with something as ordinary as the wooden steps.

Creative friends, your assignment for this week is to clean your house. Organize your closet. Go through your junk drawer. Tidy up your workspace. Paint something. 

Do this until you feel exhausted. Next, I want you to lie down for twenty minutes. Dream. Then, get up and throw some paint on the wall!  

Do something inconsequential. This could mean throwing down a few licks on the guitar, or trying out a dance gesture. Perhaps it's writing a paragraph of prose that’s unrelated to any current project. And, if you're a visual artist, it could mean literally throwing some paint on the wall. The idea is to start small and to get out of your own way. Forget about making a masterpiece. Rather, do something humble and simple. This will lead you to unexpected places—perhaps a masterpiece. But that’s not the point. The point is to begin.

Start by tidying up. You'll see. This really works.

Have fun!

Love,

Jamie

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


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