WATERCOLOR PAINTING IS LIKE DESIGNING YOUR NEXT CHAPTER

A few years after college, I decided to dive into the world of watercolor painting with a friend. We took evening classes and even went on a few weekend retreats. While my friend’s passion for painting continued, mine faded away. But guess what? I’m back at it, and it’s been an incredible experience.

Watercolor painting is known for being the least forgiving of the paint mediums. Unlike oil and acrylic, you can’t just paint over your mistakes. With watercolor, you have to get creative with corrections – adding water to soften edges, lifting wet paint with cotton swabs, or painting darker colors and details over dried paint. It takes some technique mastery, but that’s part of the fun!

So, why did I pick up watercolor painting again? I genuinely enjoyed it. It sparked my creativity, helped me unwind, and allowed me to catch up with my friend while meeting other budding artists. This time around, I set some goals to keep me on track:

• Small compositions: I’m starting with small pieces to get comfortable with my tools and supplies again.  
• Strengthening techniques: I’m focusing on mastering the basics like balancing water and pigment, graded washes, and layering.  
• Birthday cards: I’m painting over 50 birthday cards for family, with this year’s theme being “Flower of the Month.”

It might sound a bit structured for a creative hobby, but having goals helps me stay committed. In the past, a busy schedule and a lack of goals and dedicated space got in the way. Now, I’ve created a special area for my art projects, decluttered my schedule by letting go of some activities, and set achievable goals. These simple acts have made a world of difference.

What keeps me motivated?

• A positive outlook: Reflecting and reframing brought me back to the feelings of joy when painting and the compelling desire to make room for it once again. A positive outlook will make all the difference when designing and living your next chapter too.
• Setting goals: Setting and achieving goals may also require the removal of obstacles and letting go; true in watercolor painting and designing your retirement life.
• Breaking it into manageable chunks: There are endless video tutorials online that focus on small compositions and specific techniques. Similarly, there are modular based retirement life design programs that make it easy and manageable to mastermind your next chapter.   
• Practice, experimentation, and adaptation: These actions are key to mastering watercolors and will be essential to exploring and enjoying a variety of activities in retirement.  

I’m already dreaming up new goals: learning to use different paint brushes, painting holiday cards, and even creating pet portraits. Will watercolor painting be an activity in my retirement? You betcha! So, what hobby do you want to re-ignite? What steps can you envision to ensure success? And how do you see these efforts paralleling the design of your retirement lifestyle?

Carol Bergeron guides people through major life transitions with a focus on self-reflection, visualization, and collaboration. She helps clients adapt to personal and professional changes, especially when shaping modern retirement lifestyles, which involve emotional, social, lifestyle, and health-related shifts converging all at once.

Learn more about navigating life’s transitions; explore upcoming small group coaching programs: https://www.eventbrite.com/o/bergeron-associates-13715940172#collections

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