I did something completely out of my comfort zone this weekend…

Even as an artist, I still know what it feels like to be a beginner

I did something completely out of my comfort zone this weekend…

I drew.

Now, I know what you’re probably thinking…

 

“But Sian, you’re an artist!”

 

And yes, I am.

But here’s the thing: I’m a painter.

Give me paint, a canvas, and permission to play, and I’m in my Happy Place. I’ll happily lose myself for hours, making marks, blending colours and seeing what emerges.

But if you give me a pencil and a sketchbook and ask me to draw what’s in front of me?

That’s a very different story….

Drawing requires a different part that’s not easy for me:

I have to slow down, really look, and concentrate, and specifically think. It doesn’t come with the same ease and freedom that painting does.

And, this weekend, I also did something else I’d never done before:

I went on a retreat.

For many people that might not sound like a big deal, but for me it was completely new territory. But if there’s one thing I know, is that doing something you’ve never done before can feel really uncomfortable.

And I impulsively packed my new sketchbook. The one I was inspired to buy because of my lovely friend and fellow artist Wendy Turner. So I decided that while I was there, I’d try drawing what I saw around me....

And at first it was difficult and felt awkward.

I stood there holding my pencil, feeling very self-conscious and unsure where to begin.

So, I took my glasses off.

And something shifted: the details softened. And then the pressure, I’d placed on myself, started to disappear

Instead of trying to draw everything exactly as it was in front of me, I just observed the shapes, the light, the movement, and the FEELING.

I found myself becoming absorbed in the process.

 

I relaxed.

 

I enjoyed it.

 

And by the end, I had such a big sense of achievement of what I’d created.

 

Not because it was “perfect”

 

But because I’d done it.

 

Because I’d stepped outside my comfort zone and discovered that there was something wonderful waiting on the other side.

 

It reminded me of something I see all the time when running my painting classes for adults at Canvas Club: there’s always a beginner or someone new, who will say to me they’re not arty and can’t paint, and I can see they’re nervous about painting, as it’s probably for the first time since school 

 

They’re nervous. Unsure. And they’re worried they’ll get it “wrong”

 

They sit down feeling exactly how I felt standing there with that sketchbook.

 

But something almost magical happens. They begin.

One brushstroke becomes another. The fear starts to fade and the joy grows.

 

And before they know it, they’re standing back looking at something they never thought they could create. 

 

And that’s exactly why I created Canvas Club; to be a welcoming place for adults, where complete beginners can learn to paint, relax and discover their creativity without pressure.

 

This weekend reminded me that no matter how much experience we have, we’re all beginners at something.

 

So, whether you’re considering joining a painting class for beginners or simply looking for a creative way to unwind, remember that the confidence you think you need to have always comes after you start, not before.

 

The trick isn’t waiting until we feel confident. The trick is being brave enough to start.

 

Because, you never know what you might discover about yourself on the other side of stepping into the uncomfortable zone 

Have you ever avoided trying something new or creative because you were worried you wouldn’t be good at it?