As someone who often find comfort in routine and familiar activities, the thought of attending a painting workshop filled me with a mix of excitement and anxiety. I have always admired artistic creations from afar, never considered myself particularly creative. Still, something nudged me to try. Maybe it’s the desire to try something new or the promise of a relaxing afternoon away from my usual routine.

Walking unto the Unknown

So when a friend suggested that we join a ceramic pendant painting workshop, I was hesitant yet eager; after all, a small piece of ceramic pendant doesn’t seem as daunting as an entire canvas.

On the day of the workshop, we arrived to a small but inviting studio – bright colours with a faint scent of aromatherapy. Our instructor, Melissa, warmly received us and our chatter quickly filled up the space. I was pleasantly surprised when I was served coffee and cookies and immediately relaxed with the coffee aromas. As we chatted, we also explored the array of paints and ceramic pendants laid out on the table.

I picked out a pendant, and uncertain thoughts ran through my mind. What if I messed it up? What if my painting looked terrible? Would I be able to keep up?

Trying to keep Up

After a brief introduction, Melissa demonstrated various painting techniques and how to blend colours. We were encouraged to try blending colours, feel the paint consistency and texture, and consider which painting techniques we wanted to adopt.

When it was time to start painting, I hesitated, staring at the rose pendant I had chosen and the paint brush on the other hand. As I made my first stroke, I held my breath, unsure how the colour will land on the pendant. Surprisingly, the paint glided smoothly across the surface and landed as a faint stroke of colour. A small spark of confidence and glee flickered inside me, maybe I could do this after all!

Finding My Groove

As I continue to paint, I felt my initial fears begin to melt away. The decision to go for a rose pendant was right, I could focus on just pink with a touch of yellow and brown. These are similar colours which are easy to blend and I did not need to worry about colour matching.

With each brushstroke, I found myself less tensed, less concerned about messing up and staring to enjoy the process. When I felt unsure, Melissa was always nearby with guidance and tips. Her word encouraging words still rings in my ears – “Art is about expression, not perfection.”

Supportive Atmosphere

While I was mostly silent when painting, it was a pleasure being in the company of friends and randomly joining their chatter.  I became focused on the process rather than the outcome. I started to enjoy experimenting with colours and the act of painting. I begin to enjoy the process – the serenity of creating an art piece, the pleasant surprises when I create unexpected shades of colours, the joys of seeing the plain white rose pendant come to life! The best moments were the compliments from my friends when I showed them my progress, they helped boost my confidence!

The Final Reveal

After about 45mins, I realised that there were no more spaces for me to paint and reluctantly stopped. It was an exhilarating feeling, I didn’t know I would enjoy this so much. The best part is, my artwork doesn’t look too bad at all. Sure, it wasn’t museum-worthy, but it was mine. I had taken a white ceramic rose and turned it into something pretty and personal. And for someone who’s never considered themselves to be creative, that felt like an accomplishment.

One of the best parts of the workshop was also seeing everyone else’s pendants. Some friends were clearly more artistically gifted, their works were beautiful and realistic. We were genuinely happy for each other’s creations, there was no pressure to create a ‘perfect’ piece, it was all about having a good time together and learning something new.

As we wound down with our final coffee and chit-chat, we were shown a selection of pure essential oils, from which we picked a scent that we would like to be put on our pendant. With fond goodbyes to Melissa and Ying and our painted aromatherapy ceramic pendants in our bags, we left the studio and filled the corridors of the shopping mall with our excited chitter chatter, and our minds with beautiful memories from today’s experience.

So, if you are like me and think that you don’t have a creative done in your body, I highly recommend giving something like this a try. It’s fun, low-pressure way to tap into a side of yourself you might not even know is there. Plus, I now have a cute pendant that I put in my car and say “I made this!”