Art sticks better on dirty windows
Inspiration comes when and how you least expect it. I learned a great life and business lesson from a local window sign painter. I had seen artist Alicia Michaliszyn’s handiwork on some other small business windows around town and admired her skill, colors, and bold designs. In December 2021, with my music studio parking lot empty due to COVID business restrictions, the commercial building looked closed even though we were open for online lessons. So, I hired Alicia to paint the studio’s large arched picture windows that face a busy intersection. We discussed a design and scheduled a start date. I was very busy with end-of-semester deadlines and the approaching holidays, so when the sign painter arrived, I apologized profusely. “I’m so sorry. The windows are really dirty and the guy who usually cleans them has gone out of business due to COVID, and I didn’t have time to clean the windows myself.” The artist replied, “Oh, no! Dirty is better. You need something for the art to stick to. Clean windows take longer to paint, and Windex is the worst. The paint slides right off!” I thought about how many times I’d waited to begin a creative project because it wasn’t the exact right time, or I didn’t have every strategic detail completely ready and planned out. My art slid right off, and I never even started. If the pandemic has taught me anything, it is how to be in the moment and how to find imperfect ways forward in the most challenging times. Perfectionism is elusive and as slippery as name-brand window cleaner. There is no perfect time. Pursuing perfection will only take you longer, add to your frustration, and you may simply abandon your book, your song, your idea, or your career path. When you are feeling frustrated and overwhelmed, instead of giving up, what if you start with dirty windows and paint something beautiful anyway?
Window artist Alicia Michaliszyn, Allusions Art & Design, Richland Washington
Originally published in National Association of Teachers of Singing “Independent Voices”, April 2021
Read this post and more on my Typeshare Social Blog