Your Life Is a Work of Art

“I dream my painting and I paint my dream.”

Vincent van Gogh

Every day, you make choices that affect the way your life looks.

You can choose to live a life that is colorful and full of adventure, or you can choose to live a life that is more subdued.

You can live a life full of love, or you can live a life full of hate. You are the artist of your life, and you paint every brushstroke.

You don’t start with a blank canvas

Some may say that we all begin life with a blank canvas. However, your life canvas is already painted before you ever get to hold the paintbrush.

It’s painted on by your genetics, family of origin, socioeconomic status, childhood friends, and your religious or non-religious upbringing.

By the time you come to the canvas with your own ideas, there are all types of impressions placed there by others. Some you will find beautiful, others not so much. Some you may be able to erase or paint over, others you will find are permanent.

I once saw a TV show where people went to a tattoo artist to modify initial tattoos they did not like. However, the beautiful works of art created using undesirable tattoos as the basis were unique and inspiring.

Likewise, you can transform what you find on your canvas into beautiful creations.

Every decision is a brushstroke

Every decision you make is like a brushstroke that adds to the portrait of your life story. Some choices are big and obvious, like what university to attend or whether to get married. Others are more subtle, like what to wear today or what to say in a conversation.

All these choices matter because they add up to the person you are becoming. So it’s essential to be thoughtful about the decisions you make. That doesn’t mean you need to overthink things or be paralyzed by indecision. But it does mean taking the time to consider your options and making wise choices that will lead you in the direction you want to go.

There is no one right way to live your life. But there are many wrong ways. Don’t let your future brushstrokes be dictated by your past ones. Instead, make decisions that reflect your values and priorities. And don’t be afraid to change course if you realize you’ve made a mistake.

Live with intention and purpose

You can live with intention and purpose or go through the motions.

You get to choose how you will show up in the world. You can be present and in the moment, or you can be somewhere else, mentally and emotionally. You can be fully engaged with what you’re doing, or you can be half-hearted.

You get to decide what impact you will have on the world. You can make a difference, or you can float through life without making any waves.

What picture are you painting?

Are you painting a picture of love or a picture of fear? We all have a choice in what we focus on and how we see the world.

The colors we use to paint our lives are up to us. If you focus on love, your life will be full of colors like compassion, kindness, and joy. If you focus on fear, your life will be filled with colors like anger, hatred, and anxiety. It’s up to you what picture you want to paint.

So ask yourself: What colors am I using to paint my life?

Make your life a masterpiece

Just as an artist carefully selects each color and brushstroke to create a beautiful painting, you also get to choose how to live your life.

It’s not always easy to make the right choices, but if you take the time to think about what you want your life to look like, you can create a masterpiece.

Like any work of art, your life will take time, effort, and practice to perfect. But the end result will be worth it.

So what are you going to create today?