Lately, on social media, I’ve seen a slew of young women behaving like ‘mean girls’ especially targeting Baby Boomers, Gen Xers, Millennials, black women, brown women, white women, lesbian/gay/queer women, and trans women. In other words, they were dissing just about every woman and group of women! And, we’ve all observed older women, too, misconducting themselves in a bullying manner toward other women. While this type of persecution and unkind verbal attacks is nothing new, once it hits social media, it amplifies the ugly mean-spiritedness. At a time when women are under attack from politicians and the culture, women not supporting other women is unconscionable. The last thing women need are women bullying other women.
I considered what I will do to support other women and was inspired by one of my favorite T-shirts; it sports this powerful phrase: “We rise by lifting each other” (Cirque du Soleil). What I will do is to highlight a few local women, sharing some of their story, inviting you to learn about what they offer, and supporting them in their passion. This week, Genevieve Tournebize is the star of this blog essay.
For many years, I had the pleasure of teaching alongside Genevieve at a local college; now, I have the honor and delight to call her a dear friend. She created the picture above of my dachshund, Liesl. Only a month after Gnevieve gave me this beautiful drawing, my little Liesl died. Genevieve captured my sweet doxie as art that means that I will still see her every day whileI will hold Liesl in my memory forever.
Me: Please share a little about your background.
Genevieve: I was born and raised in France. I have a big family. My dad had 6 sisters and 2 brothers, so I have a lot of cousins. My childhood was very happy among all of these people. My paternal grandfather was the link among everyone. My paternal grandmother died before I was born. My grandma was a tough person, opposite of my grandfather. The adults in my family always maintained a respectable way of living and thinking; this is why I really feel that they influenced my life in the best way possible. In many ways, I am the result of their examples.
Me: What’s your passion, your purpose? Please tell us about it.
Genevieve: I have very few times asked myself about my purpose. I tend to believe it is a question with no possible answer. I am a fatalist. I believe that everything that happens to me was already part of my predestination. I cannot escape my destiny, so, there are no worries to have since I cannot change anything. This is why I don’t have any long term goals and I take the day how it comes and try to be the best I can be without questioning myself very much.
Rather than using the word, ‘passion,’ I would ask what I enjoy doing. I enjoyed having had a happy childhood and I enjoy having my children; I enjoy having friends. Then, I discovered that maybe I had some talents when I started teaching. [She taught college Spanish and French.] I realized I had to be careful because I had an influence on new minds beside my own. I realized that I had an important responsibility and that I had to show honorability, fairness, and firmness. When my Mom was 95, I realized that my responsibility was to be with her [before she passed away]. So, I retired. I am the only single child of her family who could be next to her for her in her final days, weeks, or years. Two months after I went back [to France to be with her], she passed. Now, my responsibility is to be here for my children, brother, sisters. Then, I need to be available for my friends, too.
So, finally, now my responsibility is not to be a burden to anyone. Therefore, I have to keep myself having fun, not letting my thoughts feel lonely or questioning my purpose. My purpose is to be healthy for my family and friends. This can only happen having activities, so, I paint and garden. I watch all kinds of shows that enrich my knowledge. I love to read recipes for food, plants, etc. I love seeing people being creative and making me want to learn to do what they do. I am happy like that.
Me: How did you discover what is your creative expression?
Genevieve: I really enjoy creating beauty or immortalizing moments, people, animals, and plants. So, when my kids were young, after they went to sleep, I painted. It started with a friend of mine from San Salvador who was doing ceramics. She told me that I should try China Painting because my designed were too sophisticated for ceramics. So, I joined a group of ladies who did that and I learned that skill. I am much of an autodidact, so, I continued painting on my own after buying a kiln to fire my own porcelain.
Later, I decided to try oil painting because it does not need firing the part. I made many paintings from photos I had taken. After my mom passed away and I was retired, I decided to take a class on portraits. I had done portraits in the other mediums, so why not? I realized that, after all, maybe I had a talent for that. I learned to use graphite pencils, so, I took the class and had great fun learning how to the medium. Again, I went to practice on my own.
Nothing is more exciting than to hear the encouragements of your friend and relatives and even people you don’t know well. That is what gave me more motivation. You want to develop your talent, but, sometimes you are unsure about yourself; you need other people’s input.
Me: How have your curated this creative talent? Through experience and practice, through intuition, through certifications?
Genevieve: Definitely, practice is the key. You have to love a challenge to take it over and over. Now, I realize that everything I did in the past was leading me to where I am now. My younger years taught me how to live my own respect, thanks to the adults around me then. My married yers taught me to be patient and find a little time in day to indulge in myself. My life as a divorced woman taught me that now I am on my own.
Sometimes, you have to study to get a degree that will open some doors for you. Sometimes, you have to learn from those who now something you don’t. Definitely, you have to accept what falls on your lap and see how it is a chance to reach new heights. You have to listen to your path in life and walk the way.
Me: What appeals to you, resonates with you about expressing creativity, makes you happy?
Genevieve: I love to do what makes my environment happy. I love to cook a new dish to share with friends. I love to set a pretty table when I have guests. I love to draw the dogs that I cannot have. I love to organize drawers and cabinets. I love to clean silver and crystal. I love to see my plants grow and flower. In short, small things make me happy.
Me: What are three fun aspects about you?
Genevieve: 1. I love to hear jokes, but, I am terrible when I try to tell them. 2. I am prone to trip and laugh about it once I am on the ground. 3. When I play games, I don’t care to lose as long as we don’t play for money.
Me: What advice will you give to a young person who wants to pursue their passion for art?
Genevieve: A young person will go through ll kinds of opportunities and challenges. Don’t let yourself be disappointed or disheartened if things don’t turn out as good as you saw them in your mind. Anything is as important as you give it importance. If your passion is art, give it your time; created time for it as often as it is possible. To shorten your time of wandering, go take advice from the people who are better than you are, who know the business better than you, but learn to make the knowledge yours. Don’t stop at what you know; be innovative. Not everything will be a success, but, it is nothing to worry about. Learning your talent takes time, practice, openness to new ideas. Be modest; there are people who are better than you are in some situations. Learn what they can teach you, but, don’t forget who you are. Don’t make your life be a competition with others. Be the best you can be in your eyes. Accept criticism with elegance and decide for yourself if it is worthy of your attention. With constancy, one day, you will see that you know as much as some people you used to admire and that you know as much as you need to satisfy your purpose.
I support and celebrate Genevieve as she lives creates! To see her work, to contact her for custom art, or to buy her completed artwork, go to Instagram @gt_drawings1. The site shows a sampling of her talent. Thank you for reading this blog essay; if you read this on social media, please type your comments below. Or, if you read this in your subscription, please share your thoughts in an email to me at reimaginelife22@gmail.com. And, I invite you to subscribe to my blog at www.reimaginelifecoach.com
Comments