Have you ever been shocked and left speechless by something you encountered?  Was the experience as a result of something you saw, heard, tasted, or felt?  Did that feeling of shock change your overall attitude or perception for the better or for worse?  Now, I'd like you to take a moment and think about these questions.  As for me, I have been in this state before, but only once did I feel SHOCKWAVES flow through me as I stood speechless staring at my canvas.  I kept asking myself, "How could this be?"  "How was it possible?

Well, earlier today, I received a call from a friend updating me on this weekend's tennis tournament that my son could not attend.  He expressed how shocked he was to see his son play aggressively instead of the defensive mode we're all familiar with seeing.  He added that his son played so well, not giving up, and changing his strategy while on the court.  Everything thing his son did during his match, although risky, was well executed and he defeated his opponent.  To make things even more shocking, his son had beaten a well-known seeded player!  I wish I were there.  I can only imagine the shock on the faces of everyone who had the pleasure to watch the match.  Anyway, it was his experience that motivated this week's newsletter.

annoying.   I began to get frustrated and wanted to give up.  I was tempted to destroy the canvas and bite the bullet, knowing that this was a lot of money I was about to pour down the drain.  I was sad and disappointed in myself cause nothing was making sense.  

So, I left my studio for a brief moment to retrieve my son's portable speakers.  I needed to listen to some contemporary Christian music on my phone.  It was both soothing and comforting.  Slowly, the frustration, anger, disappointment, and sadness began to dissipate.  I suddenly felt this urge to get up and continue the painting, but I didn't know what to do.  The moment I surrendered my thoughts and stopped thinking about what I wanted to produce, everything changed.  Some refer to Him as a "higher power," but I call Him God.  I know He took over because I began to do things differently, and the image started to change into something I would never have imagined.