Happy Anniversary!

China Blooms
12 x 16
Oil Painting by Pat Fiorello
$600


Today marks my one year anniversary of starting this blog.   So far, I have shared  213 posts.  I had attempted a blog back in 2010 and kept it up for a total of 2 days, so being consistent over the past years feels like an accomplishment.


What was the difference between the 2 attempts?  Why could I be consistent the 2nd time around when the first time fizzled out after only 2 days?  As I see it, the first time I was doing  a blog because "everyone" said I "should". It seemed like a good idea. Of course  any sentence containing the word "should" typically comes from guilt or fear and ,at least for me,  has little staying power ( like" I should avoid eating so much chocolate"...or put in  your favorite indulgence, you know how well that's going!). 


 Logically what you "should" do makes sense, but as Tony Robbins says, unless you have a big enough WHY, you will not make a change in your behavior.   The notion that you "should" do something is typically not a big enough  reason WHY to motivate you over time.


The second time around,  I saw a new reason to create a blog. To have it be a platform to inspire others and share what I am doing as an artist and what I am learning in the hopes that it may contribute to others. Art has made such a difference in enhancing the quality of my life, that I  want to encourage others to include art in their lives- whether as an appreciator or a creator.  Hence the title of this blog: " Art Elevates Life" .


So if you are stuck on something, or keep trying and giving up, take a look at WHY you are doing it. Does it seem like a "good idea",  it's what "they" say or everyone else is doing it? You have the opportunity to really look and see if it serves your purpose or not and choose. And if you choose yes,   create a more empowering context or more compelling "why" that may help you stay the course, even when you don't feel like it.


I hope you have enjoyed reading my posts and maybe even gotten a tip or bit of inspiration along the way.  If you have any feedback or suggestions for year 2 topics you'd like to hear about, please send them my way. Thanks for following! Hope your day includes some art & beauty.


And Happy St. Patrick's Day!