Amateurs sit and wait for inspiration. The rest of us just get up and go to work. - Stephen King, On Writing

Today was an interesting mix of inspiration and frustration, of gut feelings and second guessing.
I was anxious to get today's prompt and "force" myself to write again, but it did not come.
By 4:15pm, I had to leave for my painting class so I figured I'd just check my e-mail again when I got home. I was preparing to be creative by painting so that was enough for the moment.

Painting class was typical me at first -- jump in, have fun, get your hands dirty. Don't think too much. It does not have to be perfect. I must have said "this is fun" 10 times in the first 20 minutes.
"Go with your gut" has been one of my mottos in life, why not in "art" (if you can call it that)?

Four circles in to the 12 Kandinsky circles that we were supposed to be modeling, I was already a little antsy about following the rules and listening to the teacher. Even though I have never painted before, I felt like going rogue. 1/3rd of the way through and I already wanted to do my own thing. Typical me.

What's funny is -- I should have just gotten up and done the work at the start. The inspiration hit me too late though. Hearts instead of circles -- why did I not think of that four circles ago? Too late now.

I finished the painting but (ironically) didn't love it, even though the word love and a big heart were right in the center of it. Problem is, the true inspiration came a little too late. I had charged ahead, unaware of the fact that I am still an amateur and could have benefitted from the waiting part.

Just get up and get to work. That approach usually works for me. Action is truth, doing is knowing. With painting, not so much. To create a better picture, I should have waited for the bigger picture to surface in my mind.

But I didn't and I can't go back now -- or can I?

I drove home feeling a little uncreative and a little frustrated that I had not taken more time or had a little more vision before I charged into the assignment. Lesson learned next one there is a canvas in font of me. Think big picture -- literally. But guess what came to me while I drove?
What is the heart of the picture? Literally -- the heart. I love the heart I painted so I cut it out and I'm going to frame it.

It's not that the rest of the picture is that crappy, it's just not me. It's not the heart of my creative ability. I am not going to pretend the rest of the painting never existed, but I am going to accentuate the positive. Without the rest, the heart would not be there.

The rest of us just get up and go to work and that's what I did today.
Painting is not my thing, but writing about it is. Thanks Stephen King for the inspiration.