Shari Kreller
As a child I loved to draw, taking the newspaper funnies and trying to recreate them. My father was a very creative man, an artist at heart. He was an amazing sketch artist, painter and musician among many other things. I remember as a child bringing him blank pieces of paper and begging him to draw for me. As I sat snuggled on his knee I would watch his hands lightly brush the paper while he brought his piece to life. Those memories I hold deep in my heart and they make me smile whenever I think of them.
Of course, I loved art class in high-school which is where I began painting. Most of my creations back then were of landscapes and horses, what young girl doesn’t love horses. My parents kept many of my early pieces which I had the opportunity to see awhile back. It’s fun to look back and review what you created 30+ years ago, how your experiences and growth has changed your perspective and approach.
After high school I just stopped painting, as other career aspirations set in and chasing the big dream was my focus. Born and raised in a small town in Ontario Canada, I moved to Montreal after college living there for many years before heading back to Ontario. Working in high-tech marketing gave me the opportunity to move to the heart of Silicon Valley over 10 years ago which is where I reside today.
When I lost my father in 2011 I found myself searching for something. It was then I decided to pick up the paint brush again and create just for me… and for months I kept my finished pieces in my basement hidden away from everyone. Through the encouragement of family and friends I finally decided to share my art with others – why was I hiding them, or what was I hiding from?
What I discovered was each of my paintings were unique, had their own personality, their own meaning and mood based on people and events that have made an impact on my mind and heart. I realized that painting from within allowed me to express my feelings on canvas even though thought was not fore front in my mind, and the final pieces had a voice of their own.
Most recently I completed my courses for life coaching which was a true awaking of self-discovery. In one of my last sessions I used this analogy with a client.
“We are all works of art, masterpieces in the making. What makes a masterpiece so unique are the layers that show the depth, voice and character of the piece. Most of us want to erase the past, start with a fresh canvas… I say no! Keep the old paint, keep the cracks and chips, you can always paint over them with new colors and textures based on how you’re feeling today and you get to decide. That’s what makes all masterpieces truly unique.”
Sometimes you lose yourself and you’re not sure how to start finding your passion again. If this resonates with you, I urge you to pick up a brush and start creating your own masterpiece… you can keep it in the basement… or show it to the world.
Keep creating, learning and taking chances, it's what keeps us truly young.
