Expectations vs Reality
Too much water at my watercolor class ☔️
Last week I hosted an En Plein Air Watercolor Class in Prospect Park. It was a new format for my workshops so I did a ton of research and planning to design it. I haven’t been that excited to teach a class in a while. The workshop sold out and I got new supplies to bring my vision to life!
As the day of the workshop came, it was the peak of our NYC heat wave. 97 degrees at 6pm 🥵 I thought about postponing it for the heat. I found a shady spot to paint and reminded people to bring water. Things were on track. When we arrived, there was even a soft breeze! We lucked out.
Everything was going smoothly and people were having a great time. We just finished the first warm up activity of painting watercolor gradients on bookmarks. As I guided us into the next activity, little raindrops appeared on my paper.
At first, I pretended to ignore it. As the drops got more frequent, I began making eye contact with my closest friends trying to mind-read what they thought.
Rain was not in the forecast. I checked 2 hours ago. I asked the group what they felt comfortable with/when they wanted to take shelter. They were good for now! It would probably pass.
It definitely did not pass. Within minutes of that first rain drop, it started POURING. In classic New York thunderstorm fashion, the rain made itself known. I told the class to run and take shelter by the Picnic House. They were able to grab their bookmarks. I stayed with our supplies trying to tuck them into bags as quickly as I could.
I was frazzled. What should I do? Would this be a quick storm and we could continue? Did I need to cancel? Did I need to postpone?
As we huddled by the bathrooms of the Picnic House, we looked out to see a giant rainbow.
The rain paused for a bit and we went back to our spot to assess the situation. I stared at the giant puddles on top of my cute picnic blankets, the drenched watercolor paper, and waterlogged paint brushes.
The group was so lovely and we laughed about it. At first, I suggested we could do speed painting. When I felt a few more rain drops, my eyes darted to my best friend. I knew it was time to call it. I thanked everyone for being up for the adventure, offered them a refund or a free ticket to a future class, and told them to make it home safe.
I was completely soaked through my clothes and holding back tears. I had been so excited and my expectations didn’t meet the reality I hoped for.
I have been through so many more challenging times than this little moment, but sometimes it just takes a little moment to bring up bigger feelings.
My closest friends stayed to help me pack up the supplies and walked me back to my apartment. One even carried the heavy, dirty, wet picnic blanket determined to help me salvage it. We washed off our muddy feet in my shower. My best friend turned on happy music as she helped me dry off the sopping wet art supplies I had so joyfully assembled hours before.
There was much more water at my watercolor class than I planned for.
I spent the night looking for silver linings. I still got to take a bunch of cute photos before the rain, see friends, and learn new skills to be able to paint outside. I could have let myself sulk to sleep but instead I did my best to take small actions to feel better by bed time. I did the dishes, took a bath, and curled under my weighted blanket to meditate.
The following days, I had friends send me photos of their bookmarks. Even though I didn’t think of the night as a perfect success, my friends still had a great time and were able to make something special.
The next day, I was supposed to teach 3 workshops at Brooklyn Grange for a team retreat. I was a bit nervous after that night, still processing my ~feels~. I decided to frame it as an opportunity to get back on the horse and remind myself that I can do this.
It went great. The venue was stunning, the staff was so lovely and helpful. It was exactly the boost of confidence I needed. I’m proud of myself for immediately getting back in the ring, teaching a workshop less than 12 hours after the rainy night.
One of my favorite phrases is “control the controllables.” That night was mother nature’s reminder that I can’t control everything. I can only control my response to what unfolds. I am proud of my response and think I navigated it as best as I could!
In a few weeks I’m sure I’ll look back and laugh at the night. I’ll remember the pouring rain while scrambling to pack watercolor kits. I’ll remember my muddy shower and draping wet blankets outside my fire escape. I’ll remember my friends being there for me to cheer me up after. Most of all, I’ll remember the folks who showed up, got drenched, and still left with a smile.
Upcoming Events
I’m sticking to indoor events for a minute soo…Climate Art 101 is launching the next cohort September 16! If you register before August 15, you get the early bird discount of 50% off! It is $75 for lifetime access to the curriculum and creatives in climate community.
Job Opening
I’m hiring a Social Media Coordinator in NYC to help me film videos of making art. Apply here!
Ways to support me:
I host climate art workshops for teams. These have been magical to see groups explore their creativity.
Buy yourself something from my shop- a mug, a onesie, a print
I’m open for commissions. I help climate organizations transform their complicated work into simple, beautiful visuals.
