I remember receiving a “paint by number” gift.
Not quite a teenager, so maybe it was appropriate.
I know who gave it to me, but that’s my secret.
The one thing I learned is that painting is hard. Laborioius. Unenjoyable.
Paint by numbers means staying in the lines,
Applying the coded container to the coded lines
The result will look like the boxed set. So they say.
But some know how to change their set of colors. Oh, my!
It must be the creative mind, whether lines or codes exist,
Rather, they see a blank canvas full of options
With a palette of mixed paints to suit the need
They draw, design, and then let their hands run free.
Their result? Often spectacular.
I wonder. How did they get there from here?
My mind does not roam free as I’m sure others do.
It’s structured to produce results from words that roam.
Sort of like a programmer’s code will do.
Goal in mind: flow the code to the need.
But give me words to investigate, and time, and a library,
Then I can roam the wild, wild west unfettered
By limitations, others cannot see. Nor will they ever.
The result is all in my mind.
There is an artist I follow. Yes. I love the good of someone’s talent.
He does all his paintings live and in living color,
Painting with few primary colors and the result?
He paints in the lid of an Altoid box. (Click the Link)
The key? He doesn’t paint by numbers.
Somehow, he paints what he sees in miniature.
And that’s not painting by numbers.
He’s creating the image from real or snapped photos of the time.
One thing I have learned…
If I want to be like someone I admire.
I paint within the lines and by their colors,
But the results are all mine.
I may not have the talent to paint as others,
But I do have a yearning to Be More Like Jesus
Every day, all the time, I strive with this thought…
What can I do differently so I can be more like Him?
The young man said to Him,
“All these things I have kept from my youth. What do I still lack?”
Jesus said to him,
“If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor,
and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.”
But when the young man heard that saying,
he went away sorrowful,
for he had great possessions.
(Matthew 19:20-22 NKJV)
Thank you for reading.
Please share with others.
It helps me get my book written!