I met with a local painter I admire the other day...it was something we had been wanting to do for a while and the time finally lined up.
***
I know the
painter I met with, in a casual sort of way.
You know when you are familiar
with someone because you frequent their stall at farmers market, say hello and
how do you do. The person you always seem to get at the coffee shop.
You
know them but haven't had a meal with them kind of know.
She is someone
like that.
She is amazingly talented, and making it as
an artist and designer.
In all fairness she also knows me about as well
too.
We are far more familiar with each others work then each
other.
We agreed to meet at a coffeeshop in the town between my home and
work...she told me the name,
I knew the place and agreed.
I arrived a
little early because I wanted to seem cool and relaxed by the time she
arrived, and so I ordered a chai, opened my current list book (book I am
making to-do lists in) and relaxed.
Taking in the scene:
Be
cool, you are cool enough to be here
Boy, there are a lot of yoga
people here, everyone looks like models
I don't feel so cool right
now
That table is talking codes and meta links, I kind of know what
they are saying
Hummm that one looks like Justin
Timber...
ohh I know this song, I like this album.
OK I
am cool enough again
I feel like I am looking for a blind date,
looking up at everyone that enters this place...
focus on your
list
Sipping chai...mmmm
Wow there are a lot of laptops
in here
Ohhh check out that guys mood medallion, it is huge but not
overly sooo
I should try their chocolate chai next
time....
What time is it?
*
Then the text came
: looking
forward to meeting with you today
I texted back I was waiting for
her.
She said I am here where are you?
I, it turns out, was at
the wrong coffee shop.
I was at the original location, she was at the
newest.
I blew it!
I told her I would be there in a moment.
I gulped
the top third of my chai, leaving the rest to be thrown down the drain and
my calm eroded as I walk/ran to the car three blocks away and drove to the
correct location.
By the time I arrived, I was a half hour
late!
ugh
Comfort zone shattered- check
I am never that late
person, but today I was.
She was gracious and we ended up talking for an hour
and a half.
I got to learn about her process and her other businesses, she
has two others besides her painting.
It is funny to hear highly productive
people say how they wish they were more organized or better at scheduling. We
talked about personal goals, exchanged website inspiration and simply shared
some time. We giggled with guilt at how unusual it feels to meet someone in the
morning at a coffee shop, on a studio day and wondered if it fed the stereotype
of what people think artists do all day.
We both then commiserated on how
much work we actually do to get our work seen.
She had multiple client
meetings so we visited as long as we could.
It was a good morning, didn't
start out as calm as I had hoped but it ended that way.
I also know a little
more about her making our next chat that much easier.
Things
learned:
Triple check addresses of agreed meeting places
Be kind
to yourself when things go wackadoodle, it isn't always bad
Try a chocolate
chai, if you are gonna spend $5 on a drink make it a splurge
You are doing
just fine...keep on keeping on
