“For Emily Wherever I May Find Her”
Watercolour 30″ x 30″ © Jean Burman 2011
There’s been a lot said this week about the importance of uniqueness and the struggle to find your own personal style.
I thought it wonderfully odd… as I struggled to bring you this new video clip [a watercolour portrait of my daughter]… as this was the very message I was hoping to bring to you… not only by way of this new painting… but also in the film I was putting together for the purpose.
Somewhere along the way… we have to accept that to be our best we will always be in an ever constant state of striving (((chuckles)))
To find your own personal style… you have to be brave [and not afraid to be different] in your approach to your art [and your life]. And this applies across the board not only for artists… but for EVERYONE.
It isn’t easy… but as they say… nothing worth having ever is.
You have to be open to it.
You have to keep on looking.
Keep on doing.
Keep on staying as true to your heart as you can imagine.
There will be resistance. There almost always is.
There will be people who think your way is wrong and you aren’t following the rules.
But my question is… and always has been… WHO makes the rules?
We each have a role to play… and we each have our own uniqueness to bring. It’s up to us to fight for that uniqueness. Because it’s our uniqueness that divides and separates us from the pack… and informs the world of our existence.
What purpose otherwise… for us to be here?
For once… I will quote myself here and not some luminary [living or dead] expounding their own pontifications when mine will do!
It doesn’t matter if you are a musician or an artist or a writer as long as you are bringing to the world your own uniqueness… that’s the important thing.
It’s what you SAY [that belongs to you] that’s important.
The world doesn’t need more people doing the same things. The world needs more texture and more richness and more individuality. And I think the more of these sorts of things that we can bring to the world in our own way the better the world will be.
It takes courage tho… because you’re putting yourself on the line… you really are… in any creative pursuit you are putting your heart out there.
But in so putting your heart out there you’re bringing your own uniqueness… you’re bringing “who you are” to the world.
And I think that’s as good as it gets. That’s all any of us can do.
What do YOU think?
HAVE YOUR SAY HERE…
{ 12 comments… read them below or add one }
this is quite nice, Jean and I love your painting of your daughter. Is this something that you will be doing often? send me an email when you have the time. I do not respond often on Facebook as it drives me crazy. Hope to hear from you soon.
Hi Lee
and thank you!
Most of my work is intuitive and imagined but occasionally I like to do reality and when the opportunity came up to paint Emily [and seeing as how I hadn't painted her in a very long time] I decided to jump right in. The good news is that she loves it… and I can’t tell you how relieved I am about that LOL
Thanks for stopping by and taking the time to comment Lee… it’s lovely to hear from you
Jean,
This is like ME having dessert first…watching YOU paint! (and your daughter…is lovely…)
And this message – of putting ourselves out there – as challenging and scary as that can sometimes be – is so good. Jean, you do this so wonderfully with the videos you have been creating – sharing your beautiful soul with the world…
So today – I’m smiling…being here – like I’m with you…experiencing your unique and wonderful beauty…
Lance! So great to hear from you
Yes it’s a totally scary thing to do especially when the message meets with silence sometimes as deafening as the crickets in the background I was totally oblivious to until it was fully uploaded (((chuckles))) so I am ever so grateful for your lovely comment. Likewise I admire your courage for also being brave enough to put yourself out there… trying new things… and delivering what you do from your heart. It really does take courage. You don’t ever know how you will be received [if at all] but if it’s in you then it ought to out [if that makes any sense at all LOL] Thanks Lance. I won’t make it a novel. But please know that I appreciate it
Jean! I love watching your process and listening to your ideas. Lovely painting of your daughter. Wish I were brave enough to showcase mine but most would fall asleep …LOL.
And what’s with all that greenery outside your window? I thought Australia was semiarid in most spots.
Nancy… I don’t believe that for a minute. How on earth could people fall asleep when you do what you do? Look how amazing that is. It’s YOU. It’s what you’re doing in your own unique way and bringing to the world. Nope. It doesn’t get better than that!
I’ll have to take some pictures out my front door and post them up here for you to see. There are places in Australia that are some of the wettest places in the world. I think the media portrays Australia as a brown sunburnt country but we have all sorts of topography here… from green like you’ve never seen rainforest mountains to vast orange outback plains. Come on over sometime I’ll show you around!
Thanks for stopping by to comment Nancy… very much appreciate it
What a beautiful girl Jean and so like her mother . I never liked hearing that said but I am saying it now and hope she believes it as well as falling heir to the gifts in abundance or maybe channelling them into other forms ..I was mesmerized watching the speed your brushes covered the paper swooshing the paint exactly where it should go Oh I wishhhhhhhhhhh If I were not so brrrrrrrrrr cold I might go find some paint but not to-day I’m for a hottie and a duvet winter weight Love ya
Elinor… you’re too kind to me [but I love it that you are so thank you for that LOL] She is a lovely girl inside and out and I don’t think she minds looking a just a little bit like her mother… but I know what you mean about mothers and daughters. We girls like to strike out in our own right without the shadow of our mothers hanging over us. It’s only natural I think.
Elinor I really can’t paint that fast… the film is sped up over 100% in places so never fear… I am not wonderwoman… and what this film doesn’t show is the heart stopping decision making that goes between each stroke. That would be altogether too painful to watch… you paint watercolor you know what I mean [you gotta hold your mouth right] LOL
Thanks for stopping by Miss E… please keep warm okay? Love ya too
Hi Jean,
Make your own rules, live your own Life. There is no instruction manual however plenty of ‘advice’ gets thrown our way. Lovely video, thank you. You got your message out.
be good to yourself
David
Thanks David
You’re right. We do make the rules we are willing to live our life by [at least here in the first world anyway] we just have to be brave enough to accept the rejection that surely comes when we’re trying to do or be something different. That’s the hard bit. But it’s always been so. If he were still alive Vincent could have told us [grin]
Thanks again.. for stopping by… and taking the time to comment. It’s appreciated
Who makes the rules, indeed?! Many times someone has told me that I couldn’t do something or had to do something because of a rule. My first thought is always, well, let’s change the rule!
I Love it! Wonderful Job! I love the water colors. I love the music in the background….who is that playing while you are painting? I would love to paint to that soundtrack! Maybe I can improve.