And then I was asked this

Jan 07, 2019

Welcome fellow art lovers - be well greeted!
"Blu Spring"
The Roots Series
I was inspired to create "Blu Spring" by the change of seasons, not just in nature, but also in our lives.

It seems to me that a life is rarely a straight path, rather it is characterized by peaks, plateaus and valleys intermingled with shortcuts and detours.

Sometimes things come to an end, which enables new things to emerge.

"Blu Spring" is a celebration of new beginnings.

"Blu Spring" is acrylic painting on stretched gallery canvas 36x48 inches. You can find her in my online Gallery here.
The Elevator Pitch

I was recently asked to share my elevator pitch.

In case you don't know the concept, here is what Wikipedia says: "An 'elevator pitch' ... is a short description of an idea or product or company that explains the concept in a way such that any listener can understand it in a short period of time (20 to 30 seconds).

As someone who has had businesses before, I am familiar with the concept, but even so, the question still took me aback.

Why?
Well, I pour myself into my creations, my art is an extension of who I am and what I feel and believe and envision...
My first reaction was therefore that it would be impossible to condense it into 20 to 30 seconds...

I then stopped for a moment, and began to wonder 'why' my level of discomfort with this task?

Life has taught me that there is often a great level of wisdom and learning to be found beyond the stage of feeling uncomfortable. In fact, the price of learning, it seems to me, often entails some degree of discomfort. And how could it not?

Learning, by it's very nature, is expanding beyond our comfort zone into the realm of the unknown.
It made me realize how much I have yet to learn, and how much of a beginner I still am in being an artist at large. It is a humbling experience, but I am determined to grow with it.
Once I accepted the notion of discomfort the answer became strikingly obvious: My elevator pitch doesn't have to condense everything into a 30 second soundbite - just the essence.

So let's assume you and I are locked in an elevator together and all other relevant and interesting topics of conversation have been exhausted, then here is, without further ado, my elevator pitch:
 
"As a visual artist I use paint and imagination to explore the relationship between nature and humans, between empty space and matter, between the perfect and the imperfect."
 
Takeaway Thought

Learning starts with acknowledging that there is something we do not know.

Only by moving beyond our comfort zone and into the unknown may we expand our horizons.

Question whether you should embrace feeling uncomfortable - it might just be a gatekeeper to new beginnings, new journeys, and new victories.
Shine on, you crazy diamond!
PS. I would love to know what you think about my elevator pitch. Please take a moment to hit reply and let me know. I would truly appreciate it.