Painting Your Life Chapters

Imagine what reading would be like if all of the books that were housed in a library were all the same.  If that were the case, then reading would be a past time that a lot of folks would probably not be an advocate of.  When one picks up a book or now downloads onto their reading device, they are excited to see what story will be painted in their imagination that will transcend them from where they are, to a magical and perhaps different world.  Depending upon the type of stories that speak to an individual, they all have the commonality in that they are different and offer unique perspectives about something that captivates the reader's attention.  Some of us gravitate towards a particular section of books based upon our affinity towards a subject matter or even an author if we are familiar with their prior works.  What is always fascinating to me is that similar to art that is painted by an artist, the interpretation of a book along with the vivid imagination that is created as a result of the written word is unique to the observer.  I can recall going to art museums in the past and wondering what the artist must have been thinking when they put their imagination and passion for a subject matter down on a blank canvas that created an artistic rendition.  In many instances, I would think to myself that perhaps I did not get the whole artist thing, as I could not figure out the deeper meaning behind the title of a work of art versus what I was observing.  Then as I grew older, I began to realize that similar to the famous saying of beauty being in the eye of the beholder, that art consisted of the same type of attributes as everyone's personal interpretation of it was equally accurate.  Although I may not understand all works created by talented artists, I do appreciate the process by which they arrived at their own masterpiece, as it involved passion and a clear vision of what they wanted to see as the end result.  This I find to be a great analogy for living life, as we are considered to be the artists of our own lives and the culmination of what we want our lives to be, becomes what and how we defined it.  What I like about comparing life and an artistic work of art is that we too began with our own blank canvass and began adding to it through out our lives. Although we may not have known exactly how the finished product was going to look like, the test of time tells us that anything can change from one minute to another and we have to be comfortable with a work of art that perhaps is drastically different than when we started.  Similar to many artists who will tell you that their creation took on a life of its own, so too can our path in life.  Whether we intended or not to be in the place that we are today, there were a series of occurrences that changed our direction as we created the life that we are now living.  I firmly believe that while my life is a work in progress, many others feel the same way as we all feel that there are more chapters to be written before we get to a completed finished work.  Therefore, I have come to appreciate the variety of chapters in my own life, as the twists and turns have made it an interesting read for me so far.  In addition, when I get the opportunity to speak to others, I visually see how different our book covers can be from the outside, while I get the opportunity to hear about their own life chapters that will inevitably find many things that I can relate to in their own stories.  As you contemplate what your next chapter in life will be, think about approaching it from an artist's perspective.  Remember to use broad brush strokes and bold colors to help add and refine to your masterpiece that is defined by your true self.