BEING BOLD REVISITED
People talked to me about their bold moves after I wrote a column about being bold in the May 2022 issue of INSPIRED magazine. Richard Wong sent me an email and suggested that he could talk about the boldness he had incorporated into his life after he retired.
Once upon a time, Richard was a government employee dealing with finances and contracts, but now he is retired and creating art and teaching others how to create art. “Oh well, you probably think, he must have been talented from birth.” Here is the story:
Richard retired and, like many others when they retire, looked around for a hobby to keep him occupied. He decided to try an art class at the local recreation centre. He enjoyed it. He learned about something he had no idea about before, so he took another course, and then another, and another.
One day, the coordinator at the Rec Centre asked Richard, “Will you teach a course for us?” That is when the “boldness” clicked in.
“Teach? I don’t know enough.”
“Oh, but yes, you do, you have taken so many courses, and are using them. People will benefit from what you have learned.”
And Richard, with hands a’tremblin’ taught his first class. “Be gentle with me,” he said. “I’m new at this.” And he loves what he is doing. From hobby to full-time profession, Robert Wong was bold enough to (a) learn something new and (b) take a step further to teach others.
Richard is now a professional wildlife artist and teacher. He teaches people water colour on Japanese art paper. When we talked on the phone, he told me that the more you practice your art, the better you get.
Many people believe a person’s talent is given to them, and those people have the ability from birth. Sure, some people may be that way. But most of us, even with talent, need to take time and practice our craft. The more we do, the better we get. Richard tells his students, practice what you learn and then practice some more. You will improve each time.
During the pandemic, like many creative entrepreneur’s, Richard began teaching his courses online. This has opened the world to his talent and knowledge. He told me that art can help us relax, de-stress and promote a greater sense of community as well as feelings of well-being. Richard was able to bring this kind of relief to people who wanted to practice art during a time when we all had to stay home.
Our boldness can come from stepping out into something new, being brave enough to put ourselves in a position that we may not feel comfortable. Sometimes listening to the call of someone else, who sees something in us that we haven’t yet discovered is just the nudge (ok the hard push) that we need to discover we can be more than we knew we could.
Too old? I think not! We are never too old to try something new. To practice being bold. After all, as Richard says, the more we practice something, the better we get at it.
Now he has a full-time career, a website and internet classes. And he is living his passion. Bold? You bet!
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Laurie Mueller, M.Ed is retired and living in Victoria with her husband, Helmuth. She recently published The Ultimate Guide on What to Do When Someone You Love Dies, available on Amazon. More about Laurie can be found at www.lauriemconsulting.com or on Facebook.