think inside the box: paint a horse

In the town where I live, there is a studio where you can paint a predetermined picture with a group of people, all while being led step by step by a teacher. In my open ended, exploratory, process oriented mind this does not sound fun. But, my mom was interested and so I decided to go with her and some other family members. 

Surprise! It was great and so much more enjoyable and interesting than I imagined! My mind was able to relax and completely focus on color, line and texture (as opposed to laundry and parenting). I left feeling refreshed, energized and getting as close to flow as I have in a while.

I often think about breaking rules, challenging assumptions and questioning paradigms of mainstream culture. I love rabble-rousers and extreme originality. This did not seem like the place to cultivate those ideals. But then again, the owner of the studio has some of those exact qualities I admire. So, even though we were all crowded in, painting the same horse, we were each able to connect with some good energy and access some new creative insights.

I have to remember that sometimes you can be creatively inspired by thinking inside the box, conforming to some rules and guidelines, and following. It was a good lesson for me.

What about you? Have you taken a class like this? What did you think?