One of my interests is art. I started doing crafts when I was very young -- everyone in my family is crafty in one form or another. In the last couple of years, I started doing "altered art" which is basically taking anything you find and making it into art. I've taken old books and transformed them into a different book by adding paint, stamps, photos, buttons, all kinds of tidbits. I've covered a wooden box with nails and screws and other hardware and painted the word "MANLY" on it. I've taken old family photos and adding sewing and buttons or old WWII ration coupons or just whatever somehow reflected that person. It's very enjoyable and I like doing it.

Anyway, my latest project has been more painting than altered art. I painted the whole background, then added just a pair of chipboard wings and a pair of wings cut from newspaper and words cut from paper. So, here's the picture:



This painting I wanted to convey the idea that we already have what we need inside of us, we just need to take the risks and go forward with confidence. Sort of like the Wizard of Oz saying "you had it inside you all along".

I've said it myself and heard most everyone I know say those words: "I could never..." I could never speak in front of a group, yet I did. I could never put a worm on a hook, yet I did. (fear of looking like a wimp in front of my young nephews was a great incentive.) I could never paint, yet I do.

As a writer, I've had a lot of people tell me they "could never write a story" or even a paragraph, sometimes. But they can, of course, if they can read and write, they can write a paragraph or a letter or a diary or a blog or a book. It might not end up being Pulitzer-prize winning prose, but it's writing.

I think that's the real problem with most of us. We say we can "never do that" because we don't think we'll be perfect at it. We may want to try to get up and sing at a karaoke night, but we could "never do it". Anyone can get up and sing at karaoke, that's the whole point of karaoke. You might sound terrible, but by golly, you can get up there and pretend you're Celine Dion or Elvis Presley for a few minutes.

If the fear of not being the best at something is keeping us from even trying, that is a sad thing. By the way, nowadays, I can jab a fish hook into a wiggly old worm without even squealing in horror one time. But I just knew I couldn't do it. Until I looked at those three little boys staring up at me with big eyes and a bit of challenge in their faces. Um, yeah, sure, I could put that worm on the hook. gulp. I actually had to squeal a bit the first time and the worm kept wiggling out of position and even falling off the hook on the way to the water.

But the worm got on the hook and the boys were fishing happily while I was scrubbing my hands clean. The next fishing trip, I just did it without squealing or scrubbing my hands raw with soap afterwards. And eventually the worms stayed on the hooks really well and it only took me one try to get them on the hook.

And I always said "I could never paint". Yet right up above of these words, there it is, a painting, done by me. So I guess I CAN paint. It's not perfect, it's not following any particular art style nor do I have any training. It's just me pushing paint around on the canvas and trying to express my feelings.

Before you say "I could never", just think again. Count to ten and think it over. Really you can't do it or are you just afraid of looking foolish? Or have you done it long ago and it didn't turn out well? Well, hell, this is NOW and if you think you want to give whatever it is a try, go for it. At the very least, you'll have a painting or a letter or a memory of singing your heart out. That's not a bad exchange.