Tuesday thoughts And when I Was 18

Isabelle
5 days ago
3 min read

Hi Friends,

Tuesday Thoughts: When I Was 18

When I was 18 or 19, I was in 13th grade in Germany and had chosen art as one of my majors. I loved having a class where we could create something instead of simply memorizing something.

One day, our art teacher gave us an assignment I still remember all these years later.

We had to draw a self-portrait.

In ink.

And then we had to choose a symbol that represented us, or something we believed in.

I wish I could show you the drawing. I remember it well, but it is not in my posession. Do you wonder what the symbol was that I chose back then?

A dove.

I wonder what I would choose today.

Would I still choose a dove? Probably not. Peace is something I value still, but I especially craved it back then. Life wasn’t easy for me. But, I have lived a lot of life since that teenage girl sat in art class trying to figure out how to draw her own face.

So, what would my symbol be now?

And what would yours be?

If you had to choose one symbol that represents who you are today, and who you were at 18, what would it be?

Maybe it would be a tree, with deep roots and new branches.

Maybe a butterfly, because you have changed in ways you never could have imagined.

Maybe a road, because you are still discovering where you want to go.

Maybe a bird, an ocean, a mountain, a wildflower, a key, a sunrise.

Maybe a power symbol, like an eagle? Or maybe it would be something completely ordinary that has a very personal meaning to you.

And then I started thinking beyond the symbol.

What color would represent you right now?

Not your favorite color necessarily, but the color that somehow feels like you at this stage of your life.

Would it be yellow because you are craving joy?

Blue because you have found some peace?

Red because there is still so much passion in you?

Green because you are growing?

Or, maybe your painting would be filled with colors you never would have chosen at 18.

And what feeling would you want your painting to give you?

Imagine you could paint one picture and hang it in a prominent place where you would see it every single day.

What would be in it?

Would there be people you love? A place that makes you feel alive? The ocean? Mountains? An open road? Flowers? A cozy home? A suitcase waiting to be packed? Maybe a blank space representing something you haven't discovered yet. Something modern?

And when you look at that painting every morning, what would you want to feel?

Peace?

Freedom?

Joy?

Adventure?

Belonging?

Possibility?

Maybe that is the more interesting question.

Not simply, “What represents me?”

But “How do I want to feel in this next chapter of my life?”

At 18, I chose a dove.

Today, I'm not sure yet.

And maybe that's okay.

Maybe we aren't supposed to have one symbol that represents us forever. Maybe our symbols change as we do.

So, now I'm curious about you.

If you painted a self-portrait of who you are today, what symbol would you include? What color would fill the canvas? And what would you want to feel every time you looked at it?

I'd love for you to share your answer in the comments. I have a feeling we might discover some beautiful things about each other through the paintings we imagine.

PS: Message me for a free consult to start moving toward a more confident you.

You are loved. Deeply loved. Loved beyond measure.