Watercolors

I’m taking a watercolor class.

Here’s the thing about watercolor—it’s alive.

You dip your brush, touch it to the paper, and the water moves.

It drips, blends, spreads, does its own thing.

You can try to control it, but that’s a losing battle.

At first, I fought it.

I wanted perfect edges.

Crisp lines.

No mistakes.

Spoiler: watercolor doesn’t care what you want.

Then I started to lean in.

I let the water go where it wanted.

I stopped trying to force it and just… watched.

The more I let go, the more the painting came to life.

This is what watercolor teaches you:

You can’t control everything.

Watercolor is a masterclass in what the Stoics call the dichotomy of control.

There are things you can influence—like how you hold the brush or mix the colors.

And there are things you can’t—like how the water spreads.

Trying to control what you can’t is exhausting.

Letting it flow? That’s freeing.

And if all else fails, add more blue.

Blue fixes everything.