What I Learned from Drake (or Lessons from the Lotus Flower)

So last night I finally felt like painting. Woohoo! After being blocked for awhile, it felt good to put a brush back in my hand. What's funny is where I got my inspiration from.

So I really like that song We Are Young by Fun (featuring Janelle Monae) and went to look it up on YouTube. If you haven't heard it on the radio you may know it from the Chevy commercial. I also looked up the song Somebody that I Used to Know by Gotye (featuring Kimbra) and Take Care from Drake (featuring Rihanna). While I was listening to Take Care I really paid attention to the lyrics for once and the words struck a cord with me. Here are a few random lyrics in no particular order:

I know you've been hurt
by some else
I can tell by the way
you carry yourself

Pushing me away so I give her space
dealing with a heart that I didn't break

Trying to run from that
say your done with that
on your face, girl, it just don't show
when you're ready, just say you're ready
when all the baggage just ain't as heavy

You hate the fact that you bought the dream
when they sold you one

Wow, I can so relate. I have brought so much baggage into relationships that it didn't leave much room for the guy and OUR relationship. It's kind of sad to not leave that baggage at the door, you know, check my bags with the concierge with no intention of picking them up. How does that ever give the new relationship room to grow?

It reminded me of a post I wrote back in October, From Bud to Blossom, during a particular fragile moment in my life. At the end I related that time to a lotus flower and how the lotus survives and thrives in muck yet it still manages to grow and blossom. That was the inspiration for this piece:

I wasn't really sure why I picked red for the lotus because I have never actually seen a red lotus only pink and white. It does indeed exist and symbolizes the heart. It's the lotus of love, compassion, passion, and all the qualities of the heart. Hence Compassion became the title of this painting.

Compassion
- Sympathetic consciousness of others distress together with a desire to alleviate it

At first I thought it was missing something but decided I like the simplicity of it.

I decided to make another smaller painting by recycling a canvas from a image transfer gone wrong. It was "mucked" up. LOL.

This one's called Thrive because that's what the lotus does (and myself!).

Thrive
- To grow vigorously: flourish
- To progress toward or realize a goal despite or because of circumstances

Lots of Love,