A few years ago, I signed up for an art class after I struggled to capture the beautiful visions I wanted to remember from my guided meditation class.

Although my intention was to learn “Drawing 101”, I realized the class taught me so much more about myself and life than just how to sketch. 

In this episode, I share the 7 life lessons I gained from taking an art class and how taking any class you enjoy can have a profoundly positive impact on your life.  

7 Life Lessons from Taking an Art Class 

1-Carving Out Time to Do Something You Enjoy. Finding a time that works for you and keeping a commitment to complete a course can be rewarding. You’ll be grateful you protected this time to do what you want for yourself.   

2-You Can Raise the Energy in a Room. Bring your most positive energetic self to the room. Smile, ask questions, and engage with other people around you and watch the energy rise! 

3-Lifetime Learner. When I think about my purpose in life, I’ve realized I’m here to learn and to teach. We first have to learn how to do something and then after we learn how to do it, then we can start teaching. I get so much enjoyment and pleasure from the learning process.  

4-Drawing from Observation is Incredibly Relaxing. The act of drawing something from observation is so meditative, relaxing, and enjoyable, and it’s something you can do anytime, especially if you’re feeling stressed out. You can draw anything like a simple object or the room you’re sitting in.  

5-Meeting People With Different Viewpoints is Incredibly Valuable. It’s important to hear about people’s opinions who are different from ours. Taking a class like I did with such a wide variety of ages and a wide variety of viewpoints is really healthy for you and your brain.

6-Art Applies to Everyday Life. Art is something we use in every single aspect of our lives. Everything we do from getting dressed in the morning to putting makeup on, to choosing colors for branding a business, comes back to art.   

7-How My View on Constructive Criticism is Changed for the Better. Criticism doesn’t have to be harsh. You can practice finding the positive in every situation and practice putting yourself in the other person’s shoes before you say something negative.  

In this episode, you’ll also hear:

• The benefit of doing something just for you 
• How the energy you bring impacts others 
• Finding the positive no matter the effort given 

Must-listen moments: 

[00:09:22] One of the things I noticed is that my excitement for being there, which really was just pure joy to be there even though I knew nothing about drawing and I was just so open to this experience, sort of rubbed off on the other students in the room.

[00:19:33] Getting to know other people’s opinions that are different from ours really helps our brain and really helps us to think of things in a new way.

[00:30:14] As we approach things that aren’t going the way we want to, maybe if we take a step back and say, what’s the silver lining? What’s the good in that situation? 

Thank you for listening! Please share this episode with 2 friends you think need to hear it!

Connect with Danette:

http://www.shinefirsttoday.com 

10X Your Time Strategies to Utilize Time and Technology 

Shine First Today Episode 3: 3 Ways to Build Self-Care Into a Busy Schedule 

Free Guidebook to Create Your Own Plan for Self-Care: https://shinefirsttoday.com/me-time-3-ways-to-build-self-care-into-a-busy-schedule/

E-mail: Danette@shinefirsttoday.com

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