I attended an event tonight at Busboys and Poets in Washington, DC, the Takoma location.
Busboys and Poets is my favorite joint in the DC area. A chill spot for food, coffee, events, open mic poetry, etc, and also a great place for writers, dreamers, philosophers, and artists to feel at home.
The event was a guided painting lesson with a local artist, called “Painting, Dreaming, Resisting.”
It was perfect for me, and just what I needed tonight.
The artist guided us with a basic acrylic painting of “World Peace.”
Everyone chose their own colors and of course the resulting product can be different for each person.
I chose a purple background so I could add it to my purple skies series on my blog. 🙂
It is not my best piece, but I really enjoyed painting it alongside the company of nice people.
The purpose of the event was to celebrate the International day of Peace, which was Thursday September 21st, and call for social action. I would have appreciated a little more emphasis on that from the painter and organizers, there was no mention of the occasion that brought us there tonight, but regardless, it was a fun event, among a diverse group of people at various levels of expertise in painting.
I cannot describe in writing what painting has been doing for my anxiety and depression. I have dedicated a section here on my blog for my paintings, however good or bad in quality, because of how it has been supplementing my healing process, and to demonstrate how the progress in my painting is supporting the progress in my healing. I feel that with each stroke of the brush, I am wiping away just a scratch of my pain and its resulting effect (to tame the symptoms or to serve as a coping mechanism) has been surprisingly much better than any other method of recovery.
If I could paint all day and all night, I would. I really wish I could.
Part of me regrets that I did not nurture this passion when I was younger. I blame the world’s human rights problems, because I chose human rights activism and politics instead of the arts. 🙂
But there is no reason why one cannot tap into their creative talents alongside public service.
I think this event symbolized that for me to some extent.
And I don’t believe it is ever too late to learn or improve your skills in painting. I think anyone can learn and enjoy it as a hobby. I especially encourage people struggling with mental illness to use the creative arts to support their healing, and to explore your creativity and determine if the talent can help you cope with your pain. Different things work for different people. But consider integrating painting in your life if you enjoy it. It is really a beautiful hobby.
Although this event was intended to commemorate and celebrate World Peace, “painting for peace” had two meanings for me tonight. It meant an expression for Peace to spread around the globe, but it also meant achieving the Peace within, to be able to be in a position to act and promulgate for “World Peace.”
Peace and Blessings,
Elsa
Warrior KQueen
“Be the change that you wish to see in the world.” – Mahatma Gandhi
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