Mirror, Mirror

All the greats did self-portraits. When you are continuously looking outside of yourself for inspiration it can be tough to look inside. Naturally I tried to tackle a self portrait. Which is funny because I struggle to paint portraits of others. Often times portraits of those closest to me are hardest and my self-portrait, well I can say I attempted it. I was doing a 30 day creative challenge and it called for a self-portrait. Needless to say it was a mess. I was so disappointed at the finished product. I didn’t even share it publicly.

Fast forward several months and my dear friend gifted me a portrait for my birthday. She is also a self-taught painter and anointed with an amazing gift. I could see instantly it was me that I was looking at and I was overwhelmed with the portrait of myself. It was so beautiful. I was so beautiful.

How did my self-portrait look so different than hers? I realized that somewhere along the way I believed lies about myself. I saw myself very different than how she saw me. Yes, some days I was full of confidence while others I saw myself as my self-portrait depicted tired, old, worn.

While my friend saw me as someone stunning and vibrant, beautiful, light.

She had no clue what her gift did for me. It broke off the lies that I picked up through experiences of pain and judgement. I am so thankful to be free of them. And so thankful to her for showing me a true reflection.

Can you see the difference?