Encouragement - Motivation Monday

Encouragement

(ok so it's not really Monday, but we won't split hairs.)

Encouragement is my word of the week!

For my online students I have a private Facebook page where they can post photos of their work, ask questions, and encourage each other.

My students are basically all beginning painters,

so their fear level of "not doing good enough" is pretty high.

That's where encouragement comes in.

There are enough critics in the world,

especially recently,

and I really think we could use with more encouragement.

Encourage:

your friends,

your family,

your classmates,

your co-workers,

your employees,

your spouse,

your children,

and

ESPECIALLY

Yourself!

Enough with the negativity,

the I can't's

the I'm no goods,

 the they are betters,

the I'll never get this',

the I'm pathetics,

and bring on the:

I did so much better on this than the last time,

I like this part of my painting,

I'm excited I learned how to . . .

I've finally gotten that and it makes me feel great. . .

I understand how this works. . .

I am beginning to see things differently. . .

I learned this, so I know I can learn that. . .

There are enough people in the world to bring us down,

don't you add to that by bringing your own self down.

Great art doesn't just exude out of some people 

and not others. 

Artists that we love today, like Van Gogh were not successful in their day, and yet, they kept painting.

Monet struggled financially for years and yet,

he kept painting.

Photo of Monet painting Water Lilies.

Photographed from a book 

Monet  A Retrospective

(That's not exactly how I pictured him)

Let's encourage each other and ourselves

in a world that is nearly taken over with negativity

and watch as our own art improves as will our state of mind.

It's amazing, but one encouraging comment on Instagram or Facebook or a blog can carry someone through for months.

Years ago, Jim and I took our 4 children out to eat.  They were between the ages of 3 months and 7 years.

(I know, what were we thinking???)

I felt like it was a crazy chaotic meal,

and as an older couple got up to leave  

they headed in the direction of our table.

They stopped at our table and said,

"You have the best behaved children I think we've ever seen,"

That one sentence of encouragement brings tears to my eyes just writing about it now.

The 7 year old is now 43 and that sweet sentence

kept me going for years.

When I felt like I was the biggest failure as a mom,

I'd think back to that day and take a big breath

and go on being a mom.

Encouragement 

is something we all need.

You're doing a great job and I hope you know it!

Thank you so much for following my blog.

I so appreciate it!

Continue working hard at whatever it is you love.

Thanks for stopping by today and have a great day!

Hey, I try to give away a painting every month,

but some months are harder than others.

If you receive my blog in your inbox,

you're golden.

You are in the running for the painting

 I give away every month.

If you don't, well we can fix that.

Go to the top right hand side of this blog

and put your email in the box that says

wait for it

Subscribe to My Blog.

Now here's the really important part!!!

You will receive an email with a link to click to confirm you did actually sign up.

You must click that link to confirm,

and then, and only then,

will you start receiving my blog in your inbox

and then, and only then

will you be eligible to win my monthly painting giveaway!

Now you know, 

so go get signed up,

and click the link in the email you'll receive.

I want to give you a painting.

Every month I send out an email with 

No Joke!  YOU Won! 

in the subject line.

Then you have 24 hours to get back to me with your address,

so I can send you the painting.

Nope, I'm not going to come and camp out on your door step.

I just want to send you a free painting.

I promise.

I send out the email to the 1st winner,

and if I don't hear back within 24 hours, 

I move on to the 2nd email address.

If that person doesn't respond,

(which you might not believe it, but it happens)

Then no one wins a painting that month.

(insert sad face here)

Now you know!

Have a great one.