The Wonderful Word for This Wednesday is “Limitations”
I recently fell whilst skateboarding with my 12 year old and broke my tibia and fibula at the ankle. I had surgery a few days later where they screwed a plate onto the fibula and put a few screws into the tibia so that they will now heal correctly. Good times! You will be glad to know that I win the # of screws in the neighborhood (I have 10). Winner winner chicken dinner!
This incidence has stopped me in my tracks. All the things I normally do had to be reconsidered. A LOT of help has been received gratefully. I’ve had to be content sitting on the couch with my leg elevated most of the day. Why don’t I have a Barca lounger?
The good news is that I didn’t break my arm, wrist, or hand, because I can still do art! I can still play art, but with limitations.
To get around, I use a walker, crutches, or a knee scooter. The walker is my current favorite because it has a satchel attached and I can bring things with me from place to place, which is essential!
There are two main artsy things I can do at this point. I can paint with watercolors at the table, or I can draw in my sketchbook on the couch.
I keep my sketchbook and a drawing pencil with eraser on the coffee table so that one is simple.
In order to be able to paint with watercolors at the table, I have to keep my watercolor essentials on the buffet behind the table (so I have to deal with some visual clutter which I don’t like, but I’ll deal with it for my art practice!) and I have to use jars with lids that I can transport in my satchel from the sink to the table without spilling.
I have been hankering to do some mixed media art, but that requires way too many supplies and many trips to the sink to clean supplies like brushes used for glue and stencils etc, so that will have to wait.
All this to say that limitations have been good for me. I know we’ve discussed limitations before in this previous post, but this theme has showed up again for me after breaking my leg.
Here are two ways this current limitation has helped me thus far:
- It forces me to problem solve. Example: how might I create the mixed media effect I’m after with just watercolors?
- It forces me to focus on one thing longer than I might have if I had more options. I tend to squirrel from one project to another, one medium to another, etc. This forces me to stick to one medium and go more in depth.
Conclusion and a few Questions
In conclusion, I’m grateful I didn’t break my arm, and I’m grateful for these current limitations that are pushing me further in my art practice.
Here’s the deal though, we’ve all heard the stories about people who couldn’t use their arms and learned to paint with their feet or their mouths! There are countless inspirational stories about people who have WAY more limitations than most of who do MORE than most of us out of determination to overcome a setback or limitation.
Are there any limitations that are holding you back? How might you look at it in a different light? How might that limitation force you to problem solve and look at things slightly differently?
Don’t let anything hold you back friends! See limitations as an opportunity to grow.
Here’s something to think about: Perhaps the limitations you have around art are actually mindset issues? I had mindset issues around art that held me back for decades of my life! Hmmmm….that seems like an idea for another post! To be continued then…..
Kimberly Snider, Virtuoso, Signing out.
*The artwork at the top of this email was completed during this time of limitations. It was inspired by a free tutorial offered by Alex Kincaid on line, and I had TIME to do it! This piece will be making it into my Zazzle store and onto products soon!