What Cancer Gave Me
chemotherapy last year and my mum decided she wanted to teach me how to paint.
Initially I wouldn’t have anything to
do with it. I was feeling unwell, tired and just didn’t have the
energy to try my hand at a craft while undergoing chemo! On top of that, I knew my mum had been good at painting,
there was just no way I wanted to try this ‘hobby’ of hers just as much as I
never wanted to bake or sow like her either. Also painting just never apealed to me, or so I thought!
I kept declining but mum persisted so eventually I gave in one day when she laid
out the canvas and the oil paints neatly on the table outside. She had gone through so much effort to bring
her supplies and literally begged me to do it this one time and she would never
ask again. So I did…….
Long story short, I have not been able
to put the paintbrush down ever since that day.
I have taken to oil painting like a bird to flying and enjoyed
the experience so much that most other hobbies have since taken a back seat.
I often refer to it as my happy place. A place I escape to where my mind is
absolutely quiet and I live bold and fearless. I have a lot to learn as a new
artist but to me it is more about being on a journey of creativity and
wellbeing. I can sit in front of a canvas for hours and find that my anxiousness
disappears into the abyss whenever I pick up a paintbrush and to me that is
priceless.
I am tremendously grateful
for my mum who persisted that day.
Because I would not have found my creative side and the amount of joy
that painting brings me if she didn’t push so hard. I have since painted an array of different
paintings and have even be commissioned a couple of times. I would like to encourage
you to try whatever it is you thought you couldn’t do. Don’t doubt yourself so much and remember,
with everything in life, 90% of it is just showing up. Enjoy the good moments this horrible disease
sometimes provide us with. Cancer gave me a new found love for living.
Comments
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Hi Ne, what an amazing story! All that talent you never knew you had and it gives you so much joy and happiness. Don't ever stop painting! xox0
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What a beautiful and inspiring story. Your work is really amazing. And congratulation on finding peace and contentment in your art. So good that your dear Mum preserved and encouraged you. Are you having lessons? Keep us posted with your art work.
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Hi Ne, I love that painting!!! Excellent!! I think there's nothing better than taking the time to do something you can totally immerse yourself into. How wonderful that you have found that pleasure! Please share more of your paintings with us.
Xx Cath
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Hi Ne. Love your words and your painting. So good that you've found your happy place. I'm still searching for mine.1
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WOW beautiful Ne, dont stop girl1
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Beautiful!!! Painting and words! And you!!
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Wonderful! So pleased for you. Take care from Christine xx1
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You are so lucky you have a mum that knew that this might help you1
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Thank you for the compliment. I am not taking lessons apart from the lessons I got from mum over the time she visited from overseas last year. Now that she has gone home she would send me ideas or I would start a project and we would communicate tips and advice back and forth which is a nice connection we now share. I take photos of what I am attempting and would ask her about colours and bounce ideas off her. I have looked at many youtube clips on free art lessons and everytime I want to try a different tecnique I look up free tips or lessons online. To be honest, I can't financially afford lessons given the ongoing medical expenses with my treatment so I try to just enjoy it and learn as I go. I don't think I will ever do this professionally to make a living from it, for now it is just like my very happy place I escape too.LITHGOW1950 said:What a beautiful and inspiring story. Your work is really amazing. And congratulation on finding peace and contentment in your art. So good that your dear Mum preserved and encouraged you. Are you having lessons? Keep us posted with your art work.
I will definitely post more of my art. Thank you for taking the time to comment x
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Thank-you for sharing this beautiful story and your art with us. Keep painting, you have such talent that you never know what might eventuate from your efforts. xxx 1
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@ne please keep posting more of your art, it's incredible. Inkpetal has created a thread called Creative Corner it would be amazing if you could post more of your beautiful artwork in this thread as well. How much talent do we have on the online network, WOW! xx
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Love that!1
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Beautiful story and I really think you have a talent. I love your style. It might be worth getting involved with local art groups. ..most people don't do it full time but it would be wonderful to be part of an exhibition. Maybe one for raising funds for breast cancer even. Just throwing ideas out there.1
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Absolutely beautiful story!! This actually reduced me to tears! It resonated so much for me, my Mum also was an Artist and she passed away 7years ago from an unrelated Cancer to her Breast Cancer 26yrs previous. I know the joy she got from it, but I too never tried and yet all her art supplies sit collecting dust. I guess it made me think too, maybe this is something I could try for creativity, or even as you say, giving a go something youve always wanted to do. Thanks for some inspiration and much needed thought provoking! Loved it! Melinda xo1
