Work in the sense of joyously moving forward.

People will say, “Well, I have to work on my goals,” or, “I have to work on my visualization.” And we want you to think more about holding the vision because it is pleasurable to hold the vision, not because you’re trying to make the vision work in order to get to some place that you’re not now standing. “How much should I work?” We would say, work in the sense of joyously moving forward.  —Abraham Hicks

Recently I finished two paintings for a client.  I finished the paintings according to what I thought she had specified, took some photos and sent them to her for her approval. I heard back from her and my heart sank. She was not happy. Her vision was different then what I had painted. I read over what she was unhappy about and discovered her points were what I had also struggled with when working on the paintings. I knew I had to hear her words with love and not be offended or hurt because she now was upset. I sat and studied the paintings and discovered she was absolutely right and in every thing she found wrong was exactly where I had forced the painting to work. I learned many years before never completely finish a painting until the client says they like it. Now I was thankful I didn’t because I could rework the areas.

I had a new outlook and knew the solution was easy to fix. Why? I saw joy in the paintings and I felt joy in the work.  If not for the words from my client I would not have done my best work for these paintings. When I would think about them I would not feel complete but the opposite, I would feel I did not give joy and love to the work and I would have felt I failed myself. For me ii was paintings but for you it could be a whole world of infinite possibilities you do giving you a sense of joy. In this moment is it reading these words? An hour from now is it giving a child a bath, a dog a walk, saying hello to an old friend, raking some leaves, sitting alone with your self and loving the person inside? We all have goals and that is nice believe me I have too many goals. The key is no matter what the goal dream or visualization is do it from the hear, from a sense of joyous energy and you will feel it all come together.

In the painting Garden 1 I painted hollyhocks, coneflowers, bee balm, herbs and muscari and some bees with a hint of blue sky.

Garden 1 painting 18 x 18 inch acrylic on canvas

Detail of painting

This is the second painting for my client Garden 2. In this painting it is a continuing landscape from the first with larkspur sweet pea, Queen Ann lace, herbs, coneflower and iris and don’t forget bees on a blue sky.

Detail of painting Garden 2

A last note is my client sent me a wow so much better than the images and she was absolutely thrilled.  This is joy realized.