(a ‘friends‘ project)

It was birthed

deep from within the crevices of my heart.

Those of you who have followed my blog for a while, or know me in real life, can attest to the fact that I love – and I mean go head over heels for – unique ideas and experiences.

The more out of the box, in fact, the better. And for me, nothing is as satisfying as coming up with the unique ‘thing’ at hand.

So the other day, when a doc asked me who the artist was, on the photo I posted below, I smirked.

It was my friends who had made it!

I know what you’re thinking right about now; “Wow, Dana Corriel has a really talented circle of friends.” (and if you’re not thinking it, then you should be! But then again, art is in the eye of the beholder soooo.. maybe you aren’t thinking it.)

Well I’m about to blow your mind. Because I believe we all have an ‘art-eest’ in us, lurking inside.

And I bet we have similarly-talented friends.

Why, mine are doctors and teachers and accountants and stay-at-home-moms and real estate flippers and nurses and an architect-turned-interior-designer and executives and.. even a lawyer who writes about frogs! (Yep, it’s true. I’m linking her here because she’s fab).

So.. while they aren’t all artists, per se, I’m not exaggerating when I say that my friends made me this picture. With their very own hands.

Here’s How it Came About.

I threw myself a party.

It happened when I left my old job, and right before I started another. It was a celebration of new beginnings.

But in true ME fashion, I didn’t want to do it just ‘run-of-the-mill’. I wanted it to be different; to stand out in the memory banks of my brain.

So I put threw a red one (and I’ll write about that experience soon!)

But here’s what else: I threw several ideas into the mix that made the experience a bit more.. out-of-the-box.

Among them was the creation of the painting, a group effort pieced together by love.

It stood there,

in the corner; a blank white canvas propped up against the wall, just waiting to be slathered with paint.

I didn’t want any gifts, I told my guests.

Instead, I wanted well-wishes, transmitted through the strokes of a paintbrush, and lovingly slathered on as texture on the empty canvas that lay there. The end product, I hoped, would serve as a colorful reminder of those who had been there, wishing me success.

At the end of the night, it stood there, completed; birthed by the collaborative warmth of my friends. With their laughter and loudness a mere memory now, a smile crept up on my face; one that – at least temporarily – eased the cleanup effort I was about so reluctant to embark on.

At the end of the night, it stood there, completed; birthed by the collaborative warmth of my friends. A true #creative masterpiece. #amwriting #writing #art Click To Tweet

It took just a few finishing touches from my friend, an artist, to render the painting complete and then – voila – the cord had been cut.

The painting was ready for its final reveal.

I took the piece home with me, and hung it up where it counts – in my high-traffic eating area, where I could look up at it every single day, and smile.

What do you think?