Look Ma, No Brushes
by Pamelagrace Beatty
I painted two paintings without using brushes. They are abstracts and I just wanted to do something creative that didn’t have to look exactly like anything. It was so much fun seeing how I could use sponges, paper towels, wood implements and my fingers as well as dripping bottles of paint to create a work of art!
I have been working on two commissioned paintings. They are based on the clients’ family photographs. I love the photos and they mean a lot to my client who asked me to paint them. I have done work for them before and I love how the give me permission to paint from my artist’s point of view. It feels good to have my artistic instincts trusted. Still, because these are photos, I feel I must make a fair reproduction of them. My biggest challenge is perspective, what I think I see versus what is there. This may be too much information for non-artists but my challenge on perspective is actually relevant to life as we live it as well.
We are all graduates of MSU…making stuff up. We have a perspective and the temerity to think we are right when actually we are just making something up! You know what I mean? We will get a little bit of information and then come to a decision, or judgment, based on that little bit of info and, we’re off! We are down that rabbit hole and totally believe we are right. My grandmother used to click her tongue, “Tsk, tsk, tsk” and say, “You know so much about nothin!” I would be annoyed. I just knew I knew something about something and here she was putting me down. Like most children, I was sure I had a handle on everything and truly knew a little sompin’ sompin’.
That (erroneous) belief followed me into adulthood. Then one day, I decided to conduct an experiment. I started checking out my assumptions. Frankly, I thought that most of my observations or assumptions were about 80% right most of the time. But I asked my friends and associates if what I assumed about something they said or did was correct. Not exactly. I was only right maybe 40% of the time. Actually, I think it was far less. Now I realize I am making assumptions and am probably wrong every time. But back then, I was surprised how far off the mark I was.
Here’s the deal. Once I realized my assumptions were exactly that, assumptions, something I was making up, I started looking to see how this was affecting other parts of my life. For example, I had made assumptions about how I should paint. I also made assumptions about how my friends would feel about me if they knew that I was somewhat messy. Consequently, I do what we all do and that is to clean diligently before I have guests. One friend, however, did open the door to my office and saw how disorganized it was and she did talk badly about me, but so what? Life goes on.
The problem with making assumptions is that we lock ourselves into something that isn’t the truth and may actually do us or others harm. A colleague of mine once made an assumption that the department secretary didn’t like her because she didn’t speak to her in the morning when she came into work. My colleague got so upset that she went to our manager to try to get the secretary fired. I ran interference between the two and insisted my colleague had no right to fire someone else’s secretary (the secretary’s manager was out of town). I spoke with the secretary confidentially about the situation. She said, “Oh, I don’t say good morning to anybody. I am not friendly until I’ve had my coffee at 10:00 a.m.” Fortunately, our department manager insisted on waiting until the secretary’s manager got back to the office and he handled everything. The secretary was not only not fired, but later showed talents that got her promoted. Had my colleague’s assumptions been taken as truth, we would have lost a valuable contributor to our department.
Making stuff up and believing it (they call it buying your own press in some circles) can cause problems beyond ourselves and others. It can cause global conflict. If you suspect you might be guilty of this (and just about all of us are), try my example and check with those you are making assumptions about. Let me know how often you are right. You don’t have to let me know but I guarantee you will find out some new and perhaps enlightening information that may create a better communication and life experience for you.
