Nine years ago, I sat in my recliner chair which felt more like being strapped into an amusement ride that was far from amusing. "No weight bearing on that knee for six weeks," ordered the surgeon stearnly.
I don't know about you, but after about a week, I was climbing the proverbial walls. And God said (not audibly), "Ok Bev, how about you use that writing gift I gave you for my glory?" And so, the blogging journey began. I have to laugh at how completely clueless I was when I started. I even bought "Blogging for Dummies" lol.
Through my blog, I was called to start a global Christian non-profit, which is also celebrating nine years and still going. My zealousness out of the gate on these two callings finally caught up with me and left me feeling a bit weary. I clearly needed rest, refreshment, and rejuvenation as well as some long overdue selfcare. I stepped back a bit from both ministries because, frankly, I looked and felt a bit like the characters from "The Walking Dead."
Selfcare 101: I'd dabbled with acrylics and oil paints in my younger years. In an ambitious moment, I thought, why don't I try watercolors? How hard could it be? After all, as a preschool teacher, I knew kids and watercolors went together like PB&J... Right? I can do this, I coached myself.
Little did I anticipate, but watercolors kicked my butt. When you combine a recovering perfectionist, static paint, and fluid water you get a whole lot of "out-of-control-color"! I just knew God was going to teach me some Biblical, life precepts through this new hobby.
Perfection and watercolors don't blend well: If I was going to enjoy this, I had to ditch the fear that my version of a peony wasn't going to look like the perfect peonies God creates. I learned to loosen up and go for more of a peony "impression" and that's when it started to become fun.
Complete control is not in the watercolorist's vocabulary (just like complete control is not attainable in life). Even then, the paint, when combined with water and brushed across the paper takes on a life of it's own. If you want it to bleed to the right, it will undoubtedly bleed to the left. As sure as day, the purple lavender sprigs morph with the orangish poppies to make a mud-like mess inbetween.
Watercolors, like life, require time and patience. When I wanted to add a wet paint on top of an already dried application, I often got impatient for the first layer to dry and so when I added the wet, well...I got a color not found on the color wheel lol.
Unlike acrylics and oils -- when you make a mistake, you can easily go back an hour or a day later and simply cover over your mistake. Watercolors don't work that way. Make a mistake? You need to start with a clean slate -- kind of like how Jesus washes our sins (slates) white as snow when we mess up? I learned for every one painting that turned out well, there were at least ten others that looked like my preschoolers had painted them. God LOVES a humble and contrite heart -- I'm definitely being humbled!
I could go on and on, but we're here to celebrate, right? To celebrate nine (Wow!) wonderful years of meeting some terrifically gifted writers across the globe, I'm doing a drawing for one pack of twelve floral watercolor notecards to the "lucky" person whose name is drawn.
There are 3 each, of 4 different designs. Cards are single panel on premium linen notecard paper. Packs come decoratively wrapped for gift giving (gifting yourself or gifting another).
Leave a COMMENT on my BLOG or the FACEBOOK or INSTAGRAM post where you read this and you'll automatically be entered in the drawing.
I'm also selling my packs of cards during the holiday season. If you'd like to purchase some, here's the scoop:
Christmas shopping anyone?
Private Message me or Email me: bevritter413@gmail.com to order.
Notecards:
$14./pack (pack includes 12 cards, 3 each of 4 designs)
Shipping: $5./one pack -- $5.60/2 packs -- $6./3 packs -- More? ask me.
Shipping to multiple addresses is more. Only US - sorry my International friends
Payment:
Venmo: @bevritter413
Zelle: 919 649 4454
Check: Bev Rihtarchik, 103 Silver Lining Ln., Cary, NC 27513
Cash & Credit card -- in person only
I can deliver locally in the greater Cary area.
A special thank you to all of you who have read my writing and encouraged me along this journey. I write for an audience of One, so if one earthly person is encouraged or drawn closer to Christ, then I will have attained that for which I was called.
Be blessed...
ps. If you've been enjoying what you read here, I invite you to SUBSCRIBE to my weekly blog (and nothing else). Enter your contact info in the SUBSCIBE box and then be sure to check your email inbox for a special link to confirm your subscription. You can cancel any time. Thanks for reading...
