How many people does it take to paint a mural? I’ve had this idea to paint a mural on my house for years and talked myself into believing it was too hard for me to do on my own.
Turns out… it is.
But with the extra time and motivation on my hands I decide a couple of weeks ago to do it. And they say when one commits, providence moves, magic happens. That’s the super short version. Here’s the long one by Goethe:
“Until one is committed, there is hesitancy, the chance to draw back, always ineffectiveness. Concerning all acts of initiative and creation, there is one elementary truth the ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans: that the moment one definitely commits oneself, then providence moves too.
All sorts of things occur to help one that would never otherwise have occurred. A whole stream of events issues from the decision, raising in one’s favour all manner of unforeseen incidents, meetings and material assistance which no man could have dreamed would have come his way.
Whatever you can do or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power and magic in it. Begin it now.”
― Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
So I start with measurements and a template. I come up against my first obstacle trying to learn a new program to create the template and have to ask for help from my boss. She is quick to give me a hand and I complete it and start drawing. A few years ago a friend mentions to me that she saw a mural of poppies on a West Asheville home. When I declare that I am actually getting started on my mural, she says she just saw it again recently. I go back there to gather some inspiration. Thank you, neighbors. I purchase priming materials and my neighbor pressure washes the wall. A friend gives me a hand priming the wall on day one and there is a feeling of movement.
But I remember that one of the reasons I had a lapse in momentum in the past, is that my house is on uneven ground, and I don’t have the money to purchase ladder levelers and scaffolding. I put out a call on Facebook - how do I do this cheaply? Lots of responses come in- I’m amazed honestly! I haven’t had these many likes and comments on a post ever! And then again my boss says I can borrow scaffolding from the studio and friends say I can borrow ladders. So a co-worker helps me load it in my truck and two friends come over to help me set it up. I am on my way. Scaffolding up, ladders in place, primed wall, and then I am on to gridding and then to transferring the design.
But oh, what I am already seeing right in front of me is wondrous. This little personal project I have is not personal at all. I have to reach out and ask for help and people are coming from everywhere wanting to see this thing succeed. And who benefits? Well I do, but so do the neighbors, and my friends, and my community. When we come together like this, its kind of revolutionary. It’s powerful to see people rallying around an art project and me, a singular person with a vision. It’s humbling. It makes me feel alive. I want to say, see? We can cooperate, we can make something beautiful here. We don’t need to rely on capitalism and competition to work together. We can believe in beauty and magic and providence instead.
