I am so pleased with how my latest piece turned out. When I first saw the reference photo, I was a little unsure if I should tackle it. There was so much detail in the scales. And I guess I’ll let the cat out of the bag…I started this piece the night before the birthday party, so I had less than a day to work on it! I know, I know! What was I thinking!? How was I going to pull this off? I had no idea, I just started drawing. To my surprise, it was effortless and flowed together, like water rolling off a ‘gators back. Now that I’m thinking about it, I didn’t erase one thing from it, either. I didn’t worry much while I drew it, I just worked. It just happened. It just came to life. Each scale, each shadow… it’s like I did the “I Dream of Jeannie” nod and the art just appeared on my paper!

I looked up the symbolism for the Alligator. It teaches us to roll with the punches of life’s hardships, like the ‘gator rolls with it’s prey beneath the water. The Alligator represents integration and seeing the whole picture before making a decision. Choosing to laugh at your own rigidness can help diffuse any anger and judgments you feel. The alligator will store it’s meat underwater to help tenderize it, teaching us that waiting patiently to make the right move helps us digest the situation better. If we find ourselves rushing, we miss the time to count our victories.

I’ve definitely been rolling with the punches these past couple weeks. I’ve had a lot on my plate but I’ve handled it better than I would have in the past. That’s progress, right? Maybe this piece was suppose to show me that even when things look rough, if I just step back and assess the situation properly, I can walk away from anything with confidence. I just need to remember to count my victories as I’m passing through life’s hurdles.

I brought the completed piece to the party and the recipient was thrilled! She absolutely loved it! Victory! I had a great time with my family and met a lot of new people while I was there. Victory!

Long story short, roll with the punches and remember to congratulate yourself on your winnings. We all work so hard for them!

Until next time,

“The first step to correcting a mistake is patience.”

Related posts: Free Spirit WIP IV

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Alligator symbolism; sources: Medicine Cards by Jamie Sams & David Carson  ~  refence photo: pixabay.com