PATIENCE AS AN ART OF LIFE

I am writing from Madrid where I am waiting for my visa to go to my mission land, Angola. During this wait, I was inspired to create paintings with threads. At first, I did not measure the magnitude of this idea. However, over time, I realized that every art form, like every aspect of life, requires a dose of patience and dedication.

Patience is reflected in my personal experience through the creation of paintings with threads. When starting a new painting, the excitement of imagining the final result is unmatched. However, this initial joy is faced with a challenge: the need to be patient.

I remember the first attempts and the days when I would cut the threads and start again, again and again. Each cut was both a gesture of frustration and a promise of a new beginning. However, each mistake became a valuable lesson and a reminder that sometimes, to create something beautiful, we must leave behind what does not work. This reset process taught me the value of perseverance and allowed me to appreciate every step of the creative journey.

Patience also manifests itself in the need to rest. Sometimes spending hours focused on a painting would leave me exhausted. Resting in the afternoon, taking a breather, allowed me to come back with a fresher mind and new ideas. This downtime becomes an essential part of the process, reminding me that creativity does not always flow steadily.

I wish to encourage sister artists, because we all are, beginners or experienced, to embrace patience. Art is not only the end result, but also the journey we undertake. It is on this path that we find the true essence of creation. Learning to wait and persevere can be the key to achieving our goals and realizing our dreams – for us, women of faith, our missionary dreams.

Beverly Ntumba Dingengi

Misionera Dominica del Rosario