I have been reeling from the experience of spending several days with my peers in the Martha Beck coaching program. We met in Chicago for information-packed days and late nights of finally being together in person. From inspiring sessions to the impromptu limo ride, it was a trip whose memories will make me smile for a very long time.
My super-smart friend and mentor, Michele Woodward, gave a workshop on creating tools for coaching during the convention. I love Michele’s earthiness. And her way of making the most intangible things accessible impresses me again and again.
She said something during her workshop that has become my big take-away from the convention: “Van Gogh often painted with a very limited palette.” She went on to describe how he created some of the greatest paintings ever from as few as six colors.
I felt deeply assured and confident that I have everything that I need. It was a moment of pure grace. My palette is so clear now: connecting with people, the ability to have vision and focus at the same time, forthrightness, my tingly intuition, love of technology, and making techy things comfortable for people. I love smearing these things together!
Since then I’ve been considering the possibilities of how my small palette blends. And, oh the canvases are exciting to imagine.
How does it feel to embrace a small palette? What makes yours vibrant? What do your canvases look like?
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By Laurie Foley
Laurie Foley helps solo professionals discover their natural brand so that they can get clear, get noticed and get clients. Sign up to receive your free copy of The Inner Brandifesto, her popular guidebook full of brand-building exercises.
{ 6 comments… read them below or add one }
Oh, this post made me smile, and nearly cry. I love that simplicity and confidence has found its way to you through community. Lovely. And inspiring. You have me thinking about how to define my palette. A gift for a girl feeling a wee bit overwhelmed in this career….
Thanks, Laurie!
Thank you for your comment, Dani! You almost made me cry, too. You made me think about the gifts of connecting with our tribe. I feel another post coming on!
I’d love to know more about your palette. Love your blog, btw.
Love this blog post, oh Laurie Foley. Okay, I’ll try for my six colors:
love of the exotic; curiousity about people and their life stories;
delighting in life’s wee pleasures; finding humor in abysmal situations
(okay, that’s my stretch area); inspiring people to express what zings
undercover around their hearts; oh — and the sixth — hmmm —
loving the canvas of the Mind and how far and spacious and deep it can go!
lots of love, maura
Oh Maura! So many tingles from reading your palette. And I totally would want to be with you and your sense of humor in an abysmal situation. I hope you know that you also deserve credit for inspiring this post. Thank you!
Wow! It’s amazing how a few words tossed in to illustrate a point can be so powerful. This is a useful reminder to me, in so many ways. Thanks for writing this, Laurie, and thanks for your thought leadership, your friendship and your ability to be a tremendous force for good in the world.
We never know, do we, Michele? I have learned so much from you about the power of a story. Thank you!