Being Comfortable in the Uncomfortable
Happy Thanksgiving and a lesson from "food adventures!"
Isabelle Peng
11/28/20244 min read
Hello again! ^^
It’s a joy to get back to you all. I want to start off by wishing you all a wonderful Thanksgiving! Whether simply sleeping in or hosting a party, I wish you all a restful break.
Wouldn't it be wonderful if we were always on a break? Simply doing nothing or simply doing what we like only? Simply…being comfortable?
I certainly battled with this thought a lot while working on my various art projects this semester. I’m still fighting with this thought right now because I will have two more weeks to go before the Winter Break finally starts. However, I have learned that through the discomfort and pain, I have gained so much more confidence, and so much more spice to my journey.
Through all of the pressure and groanings, I have gained more ground. More ground means more exploration. More exploration leads to more discoveries. More discoveries lead to more treasures! Some voyages were rough, but others were a breeze. However, throughout this journey, I obtained more tools and gained new memories to hold onto.
I feel so often, especially as artists, we want everything to go as planned. We like to be in control because that’s what makes us comfortable. We want the pencil to magically transport what's in our head to paper. We imagine finding the perfect reference. We wish our professors would agree with everything we plan. Just like how an explorer wishes to have a map that’s easy to read, a compass that never jitters, and a crew that listens to them.
The truth is, I learned this semester, that art doesn’t always work that way. Actually, regardless of what we do, there will always be something that ensnares our path. Most of these mishaps are unexpected and make us uncomfortable.
Also, being an explorer means constant exploring! (Haha! ^^) The need to try out new ships and routes so we can be the best explorers we can be!
Art is the same way and I had to explore a lot this semester. The most prominent was to move past my fear of Photoshop. I had to grasp the pen tool and shade digitally for the first time. I also almost drowned in perspective. I had to train my eyes to draw what I see, not what I think. It’s been an ongoing struggle.
But! Each time, when I finally overcame a new hurdle, it became so rewarding that I began to love it. I became comfortable with the uncomfortable as I applied new skills to explore new ways to express ideas in my art.
For example, the keyboard shortcuts I learned in my 2D classes became so handy for me to quickly access tools in perspective homework. I applied my previous training in color and composition to my recent abstract piece.
As surfers need the waves, we also need turbulence to make our journey more thrilling and to keep us energized to explore new things. Before you know it, trying new things can be a part of life and become what you look forward to.
You'll realize that sometimes, traveling rough waves on purpose can be equally fun as dozing under the warm sun! ^^
To prove my point, I’d love to share my recent “food adventures.”
Take a look at the Salt and Straw’s menu. Do any of these appeal to you? XD
We sampled all of them.
Yes. All of them!
We bought the Green Apple Wasabi and the Creepy Crawly Critters.
These critters are not just a flex, they were real toffee ants and chocolate covered grasshoppers! It was delicious! Especially with the matcha ice cream base. We actually went to go ask for more!
The end result was like chocolate rice crispy treats that were slightly nutty. Quite an experience! What about the other one? Well, it was spicy wasabi but mellowed out with crisp, sweet green apple.
Now, I think you’re wondering about the sushi. It’s a coincidence I had wasabi ice cream before this. This was from House of Vegano. We went there during the conference (last blog). From the name, yes, these are vegan sushi! Who would have thought of this?
We tried vegan lobster, to my great surprise, the texture was quite close to real lobster meat. Yet, my favorite was the jackfruit butter, tasting exactly like fish! It’s unbelievably creative. On the menu, there was even tomato mimicking tuna! I would try next time!
I’m incredibly grateful that I was blessed with these experiences to taste these adventurous foods with ingredients that may make people feel uncomfortable or suspicious to eat, yet to find them so delicious! These experiences have increased my confidence to conquer and learn from the uncomfortable and to comfortably apply the newly learned skills or insights to the new adventure.
I wish you all a wonderful Thanksgiving. I’m very grateful for you stopping by!
Till next time,
Isabelle