Nudges, breadcrumbs, aha ideas.…whatever you want to call them, are real, and all around if we’re paying attention. Growing up, there was a Monet painting of young girl walking through a field of flowers hanging in the hallway that I could see from my bedroom. I’ve come to the conclusion I’m drawn to painting flowers for this reason, because I can’t seem to figure out where the inspiration comes from. Something in me has felt an inner nudge to paint large scale abstract florals. And I’m a strong believer in when you have a nudge, you should follow it. I’ve been able to do this in my business career – I founded one of Seattle’s first coworking spaces, Makers Space, in 2010 and sold that business in 2017, and immediately after founded Bellevue Lifestyle Magazine. With both businesses I followed the nudge to launch my ideas and enjoyed successes in the journey.
I had never applied that nudge to art. Largely because I’ve never considered myself an artist, other than dabbling here and there over the past couple years. I didn’t believe I deserved the label “artist.” But when the first lock down hit, I took the opportunity to explore what I had always been drawn to. In April of 2020, I ordered 12 large canvases and downsized my home office to make room for a large drop cloth and painting supplies. Why not go all in?
What I’ve learned as an artist, just as in business and in life, is it takes courage to follow our aha ideas and our breadcrumbs. And with art, just as in businesses and in life, we don’t know what the final product will look like, but that’s ultimately the fun of it. Maybe that Monet painting outside my bedroom as a child was my first nudge towards a passion for the arts. I’m grateful I finally listened.
Follow my painting journey on Instagram @finchesart or online www.finchesart.com