The Common Pencil

Enthusiasm finally triumphed over hesitation. I went into the outside world and painted among the humans! And you know what? Painting in public is actually a lot of fun!

Allow me to explain: I have been very good at finding excuses to simply draw and paint from home. I like it at home. It is predictable and safe. Painting outside could expose me to all sorts of things like the weather and, well.. people! Still, the nagging, scratchy want to paint outside kept coming up in my head. I decided that, by taking you with me, it might be less scary. How is this logical you ask? Oh, well..  

Fun fact: I filmed the first painting with my phone in hand. This did not work well for me. As soon as the stores opened, I walked to a camera-shop to pick up a little tripod. That tripod was used on the table when painting the second painting. Much improvement!

What to expect
In this video I will tell you about the three things that I learned while painting in public for the very first time. You’ll get a peek inside the vibrant city Oslo (Norway), as I get over a deeply rooted insecurity of mine: performing in the presence of other people. It was a beautiful summer day in the city. I painted two little paintings using watercolor paint and archival ink pens. You can see the paintings come to life in my video above and results are shown at the end.
I do not elaborate much on my insecurities in the video. But to you, dear reader, I can say this: I have struggled with doing anything in front of people for as long as I can remember. These struggles come, like many things in life, from past experiences that are no longer relevant.

Trust
Improvement does not come from dwelling on the past, but there might be a lesson hiding in there. I have learned that many of my insecurities were fueled by a handful of self-centered idjits, and that most people really are friendly and compassionate. Sure, there are some less empathetic examples of the human species, but they should not be allowed to cage a person in any way. Claim your space, do your thing! There is no need to feel insecure.
I feel that trust is the word that binds this story. I have regained trust in my environment. I trust that the people around me are kind. I feel safe enough to do what I want, being able to shake off the fear of unkind remarks. It felt incredibly good to paint in public. This video, this experience, means the world to me. I hope that my tiny story inspires you to express yourself as you want too.

What was so fun about this experience?
I love being outside! On top of that, it was fascinating to see details appear and disappear as the Sun glided through the sky above me. I hope that one day, I can use a proper camera to show you how light paints its own picture on objects. Last but certainly not least, the people I met while painting were fantastic. They made me feel even more motivated to keep painting and get good!

Do you have a similar experience that you would like to talk about? Send an email to heleen@commonpencil.com! Or leave a comment if you don’t mind sharing in public. If you enjoy the video, please click like and subscribe. It really helps me out. 🙂

Thank you for reading and have an awesome day!