What if Rain Was Just Rain?
Embracing What Is:
The Journey to Acceptance and Flexibility
Have you ever found yourself wrestling with the reality in front of you, feeling as though life, somehow, just isn't fitting the blueprint you had in mind? It's a universal struggle, this clash between expectation and reality, between how we believe things should be and how they unfurl. I've been there, more times than I care to count, caught in the rain without an umbrella, metaphorically and literally, wondering why we label such weather as 'bad' when it's merely nature's course. It's in these moments, soaked to the bone, that I've asked myself: What if there was no 'good' or 'bad'? What if there just is?
“What if people, what if situations, can only fail but your idea of what they are supposed to be?”
This contemplation isn't about passive resignation but about finding power in acceptance and the flexibility to dance in the rain rather than curse the clouds. It's about recognizing that our disappointments, our frustrations, often stem from a rigid adherence to how we think life should unfold, to how people should behave, to how we should feel. And it's in the release of these expectations that we find freedom.
So, how do we begin to unclench our fists and open our hands to what is? How do we retrain our minds and hearts to embrace the beauty of the unpredictable, the unscripted?
I've discovered, both in my personal journey and in guiding others, that creativity holds the key. Art, in its infinite forms, teaches us to see not just with our eyes but with our souls. It invites us to let go, to explore, to experiment without the looming shadow of 'getting it right'. Below are three simple yet profound exercises that have illuminated my path to acceptance and flexibility, and I hope that they can support you and your teams as well:
Exquisite Corpse - A game of collective creativity, where the unexpected is the only expectation. Each participant adds to a drawing without seeing what came before, leading to surprising, often whimsical outcomes. It's a practice in relinquishing control, in trusting the process and the people you're with, and in embracing the beauty of collective imagination. Try this with your teams, your family, your friends - it's guaranteed laughs!
Blind Contour Drawing - Here, you're invited to draw without once glancing at your paper, your focus solely on the subject. The result? A piece that may bear little resemblance to your intended object but is rich with character and charm. It's a lesson in the beauty of imperfection, in the value of the journey over the destination. Some of my best drawings that have actually sold in the gallery are these!
Non-Dominant Hand Drawing - By simply switching the pencil to the other hand, we step into a world where control takes a backseat to expression. The drawings may be awkward, even childlike, but they're imbued with a sense of freedom, a reminder that creativity is not about precision but about expression. So very liberating!
In weaving these exercises into the fabric of our lives, we learn to apply the same principles to our broader existence. When plans go awry, as they inevitably do, we can recall the joy found in an unexpected turn of the pen, in the beauty of an unplanned line. We learn to cherish the process, to live in the moment, and to let go of the outcome
And so, I invite you to join me in this practice of acceptance, to allow art to guide you to a place where flexibility is not just an option but a joyful way of being. Share your experiences, reflect on the shifts within, and watch as the world opens up in ways you never imagined. Together, let's dance in the rain, revel in the unexpected, and embrace the beautiful, wild unpredictability of life.
