Painting Makes Me Happy
by Randy Mercier
(Toulouse, France)
I was an unhappy person in nearly every area of my life. Then one night, a concrete step crumbled underneath me and I fell and shattered my arm. At the ER I was told I had dangerously high blood pressure. I had neglected health problems for years, and all of a sudden I was forced to deal with them.
At first I felt panic and my imagination worked overtime, but little by little I took control of my issues. An artist friend who had encouraged me to try painting for years came to visit me, and she brought along some projects she thought I could do with my left hand. (I am right handed and that is the arm I broke).
I was never able to do anything creative during recovery, but her encouraging words stayed with me. I am a writer who sometimes runs out of creative energy, and I realized I needed a new outlet. With the encouragement of my friend and her mother, also an artist, I started painting when I was able to hold a brush. Now, I paint every day and a new world has opened up to me, a very happy world I might add.
I still write and run a small tourist business. But when those activities aren't going very well, I put them on the back burner and I paint. I will never be an artist. My style is unschooled and primitive. But at least I have my own distinctive style. I am pleased with my concept of color, and my own willingness to try to paint new and unusual subjects. Surprisingly, I have sold a painting... so I guess I'm not that bad :)
Allowing myself to enjoy this new activity has made me more open to other experiences as well. It has made me more productive in other areas of my life. For whatever reason, I am a more content person, and I truly enjoy my art. It makes me happy.
