Oh, the terrifying potential...

It's too much, I tell you. Too much!




I've wanted to learn to paint with watercolors for ever so long, and finally, I have a chance to take a class at my kids school. So, with encouragement from another mom who also wanted to take the class, which, by the way, is for 8th graders, I said, "Sure, why not?" and signed up.






It was so exciting to go to the craft store and buy this pretty, pretty box of watercolor paints.

See, isn't it a pretty box? Isn't it alluring and seductive? Doesn't it just scream, "If you buy me you will instantly be able to paint beautiful tropical fish?" Not that I necessarily want to paint tropical fish, but you get my point.

Don't you? Please tell me that you get my point.





Anyway...





I got the pretty box home. I laid it out with this:







and these:




And found myself completely paralyzed by all the perfect, pretty, pristine tubes in the box. Knowing that there was no way I could live up to their potential. That if I took them out of the box and, heaven forbid, tried to paint something, the only potential reaction to said painting would be, "Oh... that's not good."



But I tried anyway.



And this is what I got.



Um, those are apples, by the way.



Yes, they ARE.



Okay, if I already knew how to watercolor apples, I would not be humbling myself by taking a class with a bunch of 8th graders, who are by definition at the age where they know everything. So if you ever want to feel well and truly humbled, try learning a brand new activity in the presence of 8th graders.



My point being.........











Oh, yeah, my point being, you've got to start somewhere.