Not Arty? Perfect. Let’s Begin. La Gazette #23
You don’t have to be “Arty” to feel Art
Hello,
Art isn’t a club. It’s a sense. And you already have it.
I often hear people say, “I’m not arty” or “I don’t have a creative bone in my body.”
As if art were a secret society, and they’d missed the invitation.
But here’s the truth:
Art isn’t about being “in” or “out.”
It’s about being present. It’s about noticing what moves you. It’s about using your senses—just like you do when tasting delicious food or drinking a beautiful summer rosé.
When I was still a winemaker, in another life, I was always surprised when people would shy away from tasting, convinced they couldn’t “do it right.”
I would reply: Start with the simplest question—do you like it? or not?
Because that’s where it begins—not with vocabulary, but with feeling.
When you taste something and it reminds you of wild strawberries or birthday cake (strawberry pie, my favourite and special birthday treat when I was a kid), it’s not because you’re trained. It’s your story surfacing, triggered by one or more senses.
Because you were fully present when those memories were made, and you were paying close attention, your senses are now doing what they were designed to do: feel, connect, recall.
The sense of sight works the same way. And colour—especially the colours that resonate—is also a language of your memory.
I still remember one perfect afternoon in my grandparents’ garden. I was about ten, sitting on the terrace with a big box of felt pens and a picture book—full of those soft, nostalgic illustrations (the Woofits? a mix of Moomin and Sarah Kay). The story was about two fluffy dogs (bears?), possibly in love, and I was trying to draw one of the illustrations.
One of the characters wore a soft, muted turquoise hat. The other had a peachy orange-pink one.
And I remember the thrill—pure delight—of finding exactly the right felt pens to match those colours.
It felt like magic. Like the planets had aligned just for me.
To this day, those two colours still speak to me.
They show up in my paintings, in palettes I’m drawn to, in moments that feel like home.
We all have colours like that. We just need to slow down enough to notice them.
To ask: What does this remind me of? What do I feel when I see this?
And maybe: Who was I, in that moment?
So here’s a gentle invitation:
Let’s Play a Game of Colour and Memory
Below are a few palettes I’ve created.
Don’t rush. Let your eyes wander. Pause between each one. See if a colour stirs something—a scent, a season, a story. If it does, we might just share a memory.
And if we do, I’ll show you the painting that matches your favourite palette.
[scroll down this newsletter to match your favourite palette with one of my landscapes]
Palette One
What part of you feels seen when you look at this palette?
Palette Two
If this palette were a place, where would it take you?
Palette Three
Is there a moment in your life that shares this palette’s mood?
Palette Four
What memory flickers at the edge of these colours?
Palette Five
If this palette were a chapter in your story, what would its title be?
Palette Six
What feeling rises when you look at these hues?
Palette Seven
If this palette were a season, a scent, or a song—what would it be?
Palette Eight
Does one colour remind you of a moment you’ve lived fully?
If a colour speaks to you, I’d love to hear what it says.
You can reply with the memory it stirs—or, if you prefer, give your chosen palette a new name, or even a new title to the landscape it matches. The choice is yours.
Because when you name a feeling, a memory, a colour—you’re not just observing it. You’re making it yours, bringing texture and richness - Abundance - to your life.
Art isn’t about being “arty.” It’s about feeling alive with all your senses.
When we live that way—fully present in the moment—we build a library of Joyful moments we can return to again and again when we spot that special colour in the artworks of our house.
Thank you for reading.
Have a colourful weekend,
Marion V-W.
The Woofits, from long ago.