The Importance of Finding Your Passion

When I was about 20 years old, my parents called me up to tell me they went to a yard sale and found an unopened Bob Ross painting kit and they bought it for me for about $2. They felt like it was a real score and were excited to give it to me. I questioned if they knew the story behind these painting supplies. Apparently, middle-aged children were cleaning out the home of their recently passed father. In his golden years, he had expressed wanting to learn how to paint. Thus, the Bob Ross painting kit had been purchased for him. Learning this made me so immensely sad. Really, I was almost to tears when I finally decided to open the dust-coated kit and use it. Maybe it seems silly to you to get upset about that but this old man, for whatever reasons, never got to explore that interest before he died. Did he get sick before he could get around to it? Did he put it off so long that he just gave up? I mourned the experiences he never had. It made me think of all the things we promise ourselves we will do or learn, but we never actually complete.

One of the beauties of this world is the many, many choices and paths we can take. It allows us to find endless wonder at the possibilities. One of the tragedies of this world is that we cannot take all the paths because life is too short. You might question whether you made the right choice with big things like careers, relationships, or the town to settle down in, and sometimes smaller things like whether those bangs actually suit your face shape.

I find myself falling into that trap at times, as all humans do, and it can lead to a lot of regret. If you find yourself in this situation, pick one of the big question marks (career, relationship, location) in your life and then ask yourself this: “If I could go back in time and start over fresh with ___, would I?” If you answered “yes” to this, then you have some serious regrets and you MUST work through them. I’m not trying to be a therapist here, but the past is the past and you cannot change it. We can find ourselves so bogged down by these past choices that we forget that there is a whole, beautiful and mysterious world to experience out there. Then you’ll end up with even more regrets if you keep dwelling on the unchangable past. How can you be at peace with those decisions which you may now regret? What can you do now that could redirect your course and help resolve some of those regrets? Maybe you don’t know the answer to that yet. You don’t even know how you can help yourself or your situation. Well, I have a solution for you.

At this point, you might be questioning where I’m going with this post. It hasn’t been super artsy themed and it certainly isn’t about art history. I promise I am getting to it but I ask you once more, how can you be at peace with those decisions that are currently causing regret in your life? You clearly need a change in some facet (or many) of your life. As I mentioned before, you possibly don’t know what that is yet. So, your first step is that you need an outlet to process those feelings. For me, it is art and it might be for you too. The things I’m about to tell you can be applicable to any calling/hobby/enjoyable activity, not just art, so keep that in mind as I describe this.

Art is where I find the ability to process my regrets and move forward. It is a place where I can let my mind wander without constraint and tap into my core values. In those hours while I am working, I am utterly and entirely present, letting my mind flow like a waterfall. Accepting each and every thought that passes, without letting it emotionally impact me. I am noticing little things like the added warmth that a new brushstroke of paint layered over the nose adds to the figure on the canvas. I am noticing big things like how my mind drifts towards a past decision that altered my life course. Whatever is heavy on my mind tends to be exposed as I paint a scene on my canvas but it isn’t scary because art is my meditative state. It’s my greatest therapist. The added bonus is that when I am done, I created something entirely mine and that is fulfilling alone.

Now, I am not saying that making art is the answer to everything and I’m not saying every time I create that I have these profound epiphanies about life decisions but what it does do for me is show me how I can overcome an obstacle or move forward after a decision I now regret. Think of it like a crystal ball or a compass. It reveals what you need to do or where to go and/or what will come but it doesn’t automatically fix all your problems. It is a tool and you have to use it to navigate your life.

Maybe art isn’t your thing but I imagine there is something in your life that makes you feel totally present and at peace, willing to allow your mind to brush across the “tough parts” you usually keep concealed. If you cannot identify what that “something” is yet, ask yourself what interests you and make a promise to yourself to start pursuing it, as soon as possible. I can hear some of you now saying to yourselves, “I don’t have time for that because my life is too busy.” But, when was the last time you put your wellbeing first? There has to be some portion of your life you can carve out some time to do a hobby or activity that makes you happy.

There’s a quote I want to share with you to drive home my point before I finish:

None of us are getting out of here alive, so please stop treating yourself like an after thought. Eat the delicious food. Walk in the sunshine. Jump in the ocean. Say the truth that you’re carrying in your heart like hidden treasure. Be silly. Be kind. Be weird. There’s no time for anything else.

I feel it is important to cite sources (that’s the historian in me). This quote has been circulating on the internet the last few years and it has been attributed to actors like Keanu Reeves and Anthony Hopkins (but neither one actually said this). It has sometimes been attributed to Nanea Hoffman as well. So for now we’ll leave this as an unknown author with a very important message.

Don’t end up like the old man who died, never getting to experience the “joy of painting” with his Bob Ross paint set. Go find your “art” and let go of those regrets.

Did you know that May is Mental Health Awareness month? If you’re not already in a good place mentally, it’s time you get there.

What is a hobby you would like to explore more? What is something you’ve always wished to do but just haven’t done yet? Tell me in the comments.

Thank you for reading/listening to this post today. You can join my email list to be notified when I publish future blog posts by navigating to the main page of my blog. You can also follow me on instagram @ebofficialart. I’d love to see you there!