“ Enjoy painting.”

The season is changing from summer to autumn in Japan now. It is getting cooler and cooler. Autumn is cool and comfortable in Japan while summer is very hot and humid, especially in my home town Kyoto. The autumn is a good season for reading books, enjoying arts, eating delicious autumn food and playing sports.

I like enjoying arts, eating delicious autumn food and also love painting; of course I always love crocheting.

I loved only looking at beautiful pictures but I never tried to paint or draw any picture. I believed I was bad at painting. I was a teacher of junior high school then. One day, a fine arts teacher who was my close friend told me, “ Paint first, Mieko and you will learn how to paint gradually. I will teach you. Enjoy painting.” and he gave me a small sketchbook. I had learned from him for a year, unfortunately he moved to another school the next year.

I began to learn painting at the therapy center which is for the people who have mental illness. Though it is not continuous, I have learned painting for seven years there. I like painting with my teacher and friend in the therapy center.

Pleasure of painting improves our mental illness and accomplishment gives us self-confidence. I remembered my friend’s words, “ Enjoy painting.” And so I do. Painting is one of the pleasures in autumn.