Why I paint.

Why do I paint?

When I first became a reflexologist, I looked for something to fill my spare time whilst I built the business up. Being so used to a busy work week in publishing, time hanging on my hands was the last thing I wanted.
Scouring local adult colleges, I found a watercolour painting class for beginners.

This was the beginning of a love of painting, watercolour in particular.
As my business got busier, I moved from painting in the daytime to an evening art club type lesson. I go there once a week, we are free to follow the demo or to paint our own thing. Usually, my own thing is what gets painted!

Painting takes me to another place. A place where things are calm and time doesn't exist. I can lose myself in painting and time flies by.
That's especially useful when you are seeing sick people daily.
I know from when hubby was ill, that you need time away from anything illness related in order to recharge your batteries. The time away is essential for the carer of a sick person. If you have ever looked after a sick person long term, you know the truth of it. Without that time away, you are prone to becoming run down, even to the point of depression. You will know too, that friends and even family drop by the way, as they find it too difficult to witness. Having something social to go to is literally, a life saver.

That's why I paint. Because I used to care for an injured husband.
To read about his injury, see my earlier post on why I'm a reflexologist.
I continue to paint because I care about my reflexology people.
Painting refreshes my soul, allowing me to give of my best.
Its crucial for me.

I love watercolour painting.
The bonus that other people might love my paintings is fabulous.
I enjoy seeing people happy. If my paintings do that, I'm over the moon.
The fact that I've sponsored many kennels at Battersea Dogs and Cats Home, the rescue where Missy was housed, by commissioned dog paintings, gladdens my heart.

Painting. Pure joy.

If you'd like to see my latest, click here
If you'd like to see my dog paintings, click here
If you'd like to view my reflexology site, click HERE

Why I became a reflexologist.

Why did I become a reflexologist?

Two years after we married, my darling hubby had an accident at work.
We saw a doctor then two consultants. The consultant in charge told my hubby  that his back injury was so severe he would be in a wheelchair within two years.
Rocked by this news - we were both under 30 - we tried other avenues, mainly manual therapies that included manipulation. We had limited improvement.

Hubs couldn't work, but I carried on working in management accounts at a magazine publishing firm. One day, one of the editors, the blessed Helen Gill, asked why I was looking sad and on hearing the news, she let me loose in the health book section of her stock cupboard.
There I found the book which would change our lives, literally.
Joseph Corvo's Backache Cure. It showed you how to do a form of reflexology in pictures. I tried it on my hubby. He only started to improve!
I thank God for Helen and for that book. For giving me the gift of understanding and doing.

I looked for further training and found it in the British School of Reflexology.
To take the course and an exam, I had to agree to do a minimum of sixty case studies. Even though I only wanted to help my hubby, I agreed.
Being ill takes a toll on carers, family and friends. We lost so many along the way, that I had no idea how I would meet this target.
Again, I asked at work and was thrilled to have so many volunteer "guinea pigs" that I actually completed approximately 500 case studies for the exam. 

There were two blessings to this.
Firstly for me, every one of these wonderful people knew the situation with my hubby  and they knew I was funding my own training from limited funds. Thanks to the wonderful Mary Bird, they all gave me a little something towards my course. I am grateful for them every day. I am blessed to have Mary still in my life.
Secondly, every one of them reported some benefit from the treatment and they gladly filled in a report form cataloguing their benefit.

Not all was sunny in the world of work, though. My accounts office had a new boss and he was vile. Rarely do I use such strong words, but that person deserves it. In his favour was he was vile to all he 'managed', so I knew it wasn't just me!

Hubby, my greatest supporter, encouraged me to leave the magazine publishing world and become self employed as a reflexologist.
It was scary, making that leap, but I've never regretted it.
My proudest moment was five years after hubby's initial diagnosis, when I watched him ride off on a new motorbike.
To this day,seventeen years later, he still walks. He walks Missy our rescue  jack russell dog, twice daily. He now works in a teaching capacity at the local college, where he changes lives, daily.
It wouldn't have happened without reflexology.
I could have stopped at helping hubby - that was my first idea, after all. But when I saw how it helped others too, there was no way I could just hang up my thumbs!

I count myself blessed, I've met some wonderful people, perhaps even the vile one was meant to be to push me towards this new career. Hubs and I have endured some pain and anguish and we've had some wonderful joyous moments and have come out of it stronger together.

That's why I became a reflexologist.  To help. To make a difference.

My reflexology site HERE

Welcome!

Welcome to my new blog.
Many reading this will know me from my painting blog HERE
For those who just wish to view my paintings, that blog will continue.

So why did I start this blog?
Because the other was for my watercolour journey. With the advent of my journey into writing last year, I felt uncomfortable posting there about writing and things not related to painting.

Making a new blog called Pat Elliott seemed to be the answer.
Here you will find all things Pat. Links to my paintings when I post one on the other blog, news on what's happening in my writing life, random postings on random happenings and articles I'd like to share.

I hope you enjoy this new blog.
Welcome.