Sometimes I think I enjoy the coffee art more than the coffee itself.
I mean, who does not like pretty things. I know I definitely do. And that’s probably why I paint.
I paint, not because there is any demand, or that I enjoy the process of painting. On the contrary, the process is tedious, backbreaking, body stiffening and time consuming. Nothing enjoyable about it at all.
What I enjoy instead, is the end product that I make; the fruit of all that back breaking labour - a small piece of something pretty; something cute. (At least in my own eyes, it is.) Armed only with amateurish skills, I can only manage simple things; usually a card, a small painting or a simple floral piece.
Something to brighten up a corner of an office, a room in a house, and (hopefully) a smile on someone’s face.
And so, I’ve come to the conclusion that what I am really after, is joy. The joy of giving, of seeing that smile on the faces of the people I paint for.
I don’t need big guffaws or deep laughters. Quiet heartfelt smiles, big wide grins and smiles that crinkle at the eyes make my heart full.
Also, if people laugh loudly at my paintings then it probably means that I’m not doing it right.
I’d love to say that I’m starting small, and that one day, I’d be able to paint big pieces for people to buy and hang on their walls. But that’s what I said when I wrote more regularly last time. That I would one day, publish a book with all my writings.
And till today, I have not progressed anywhere further than I had 10 years ago.
So. I’m changing tack. Instead, I will start small and do small. Because after all, small things do matter.
Like the decoration on a cake. Mixed peas (I hate) in fried rice (I love). Parsley (I dislike even more than mixed peas) in any dish. Comfy socks on a long hike. The warmth of sliding under the blanket in an air conditioned room.
Also, because I am a lover of simple (also read as boliao to some,) things. Like Popiah skins in the Peking duck dish and the peanuts in kway chap. The sight of the moon in the night sky. A gentle breeze on my face and the patter of rain on the window pane. A small flower in a sea of weeds. A smile on someone’s face. And yes, pretty art on the coffee foam.
There are people who say dream big, do big. But I shall do simple. Do consistent. And be joyful and thankful in the small things that happen around me.
May the year ahead bring us all simple joys in our everyday lives, and happy smiles on our faces.
Happy 2023.
