I had the honor of sitting under an amazing artist, Garrick Brown, at the Garrick Brown Art Studio. A few years ago, I discovered a love for poured acrylic art—guided by friends and YouTube. Learning is one of the greatest ways to have healthy fun, but getting connected to a master artist was a truly special moment.
There were many gifts in this moment:
- The gift of friendship and creating fun together. Priceless.
- The gift of mentorship. I upleveled in a few hours instead of never seeing my blindspots.
- The gift of modeling and sharing with my kids. We’re never too old to learn or grow. In every area of life, having a “coach” always makes the journey better.
- The gift of experimenting. In sports, we call it practice. In business, it’s research and development. If something is worth doing, it’s worth doing badly at first. It’s also important to embrace a beginner’s mindset—continuing to work on the things I’m growing in.
- The gift of the stumble. I was learning a new, awkward technique when my painting dropped. Yet, when I picked it up, it was beautiful—like a garden of flowers. Life teaches us to find beauty in the imperfect process.
