While the paint was drying

5 Power Moves. 5 Backfires. One Dangerous Word: Certainty.

Certainty is the most dangerous word in today’s world. In a single week in 2026, five powerful moves by governments, tech companies, and militaries all backfired, each one made with absolute conviction that it would succeed.

When certainty is not certain anymore

A few days ago the most powerful military in the world went to war with a country halfway across the globe. Their certainty almost convinced the world of a quick victory. They were ready to blow their Trump’et.

That move literally backfired. They now realise they are not dealing with an also-ran army.

In the same week, the world witnessed another fight of unequals. The Pentagon and the US government picked a fight with an AI company practically down the street and blacklisted them.

That move backfired too.

They did not expect the world to C’LAUD’e the very company they went against. Large numbers of people downloaded Claude almost as an act of solidarity. Reddit threads appeared explaining how to migrate from ChatGPT. Someone even drew chalk art outside Anthropic’s office in San Francisco saying “you give us courage.”

Then came Sam Altman. The genius. The man considered incapable of a wrong move.

He announced a deal with the Pentagon on the same day Anthropic was officially blacklisted. Seemed like a smart move. Fill the vacuum, grab the contract, look decisive.

That backfired too. So badly that he publicly admitted it looked “opportunistic and sloppy.” Not a great sentence to have to say out loud when your whole brand is built on being the good guy.

Meanwhile Claude spiked. From 42nd on the App Store to number one in a matter of days. Claude may not have been the choice of the US government, but it certainly became the choice of everyone else. Anthropic was beginning to bask in the glory. People felt happy propping the victim to the podium.

And guess what. That backfired too.

All those people who downloaded Claude in an act of righteous solidarity promptly crashed it. The servers slowed. The app hung. Social media filled with frustrated posts from users who had just made a principled stand for ethical AI and now could not get the thing to load.

Meanwhile, two of the most powerful and strategically sophisticated militaries in the world, with all their precision weapons and war games, almost managed to choke Iran. Almost.

But did they win? We will never know. What we do know is that this move backfired too.

What weapons could not achieve, geography did. A narrow strait became the convenient choke point to starve the world of its fuel. Powerful nations came to their knees.

In the space of one week, everyone who made a move they were completely sure about got it wrong.

Maybe the most dangerous thing in today’s world is not AI. It is not wars either.

It is certainty.

That is the irony of it all. Or should we say, AI’rany of it all.

Serene Buddha portrait with closed eyes and peaceful expression.

By |2026-05-24T06:23:16+00:0029/03/2026|While the paint was drying|2 Comments
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What a Painting of an Elephant Taught Me About Surface and Depth

Surface and depth are not enemies. A painting of an elephant taught me that. The hard way.

From the canvas, the elephant watched me in silence, vast and unhurried. Was she trying to tell me something? Was that pain in her eyes? Clearly, she was carrying the weight of something I had not yet learned to name.

When you paint a large elephant on canvas, you can get away with missing a few details. But not when you attempt a giant close-up of its face. Those melancholic eyes really do make you feel so much without a word. They hold power, strength, and wisdom. They carry the pleasures and pains of many years of memory.

I wanted my elephant to speak to the viewer. I was so focused on capturing that melancholy in the eyes that I lost focus on the other equally important pressure points of the painting. I knew something was amiss. Maybe she was trying to tell me that.

The Eyes Were Speaking

“Those eyes are telling a story,” applauded a friend.

“The dirt brown colour is a good choice,” added another.

I was thrilled. People were seeing what I wanted them to see.

“My God, this is shaping up well. I am waiting to see the finished painting,” said a third.

Finished painting? I froze.

“What do you mean, waiting for the finished painting? This is it,” I clarified.

“After such powerful eyes, I thought you would paint the trunk as well.”

And there it was. The elephant in the room.

My elephant looked flat. Now I could not unsee it and I had to fix it.

The trunk that refused to move

No matter how many times I tried, the trunk refused to push forward in three dimensions. Stroke after stroke fell flat. The more I pushed, the more stubborn it seemed. I almost gave up.

And then, finally, after several failed attempts, one curve came alive.

The trunk leaned out of the canvas, no longer a flat line but a form with weight and depth. Relief washed over me. The elephant was finally looking back the way I had imagined. I could swear I saw a glint of a smile in her eyes.

That moment stayed with me. I remember it every time I struggle with a section of a painting, especially when every instinct screams give up.

The Paradox the Elephant Taught Me

Here is what surprised me most. I had been adding more and more detail to the trunk, hoping it would pop forward. But the magic happened when I blurred the face instead, especially the sides around the trunk. Once I removed detail from the cheeks, the trunk stood out. It was a trade-off well worth it.

It reminded me of the phrase we use, the elephant in the room. We say it is the problem everyone sees but no one confronts. But my elephant taught me something different. The problem was not that it was being ignored. The problem was that I was only seeing its surface, not its depth.

Those eyes carried it all. Strength wrapped in gentleness, patience stretched over years of memory. They spoke without a word. But the trunk taught me another truth.

The surface gives us the first impression, the shape we can hold on to. Depth gives us the meaning, the truth that lives beyond what we first see.

For a long time I had been fighting the surface, thinking that more detail would turn into depth. The lesson was the opposite. Depth emerged only when I allowed the surface to step aside.

Surface and depth Are Partners

The world may first notice what is on the surface. But meaning, connection, and truth are always found in what lies beneath.

Surface and depth are not rivals. They are partners. The surface invites us in. The depth keeps us there.

And like every paradox worth living, you cannot have one without the other.

By |2026-03-25T01:40:55+00:0022/03/2026|While the paint was drying|0 Comments
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Why progress looks easier in hindsight

Progress looks easier in hindsight than it ever felt while it was happening. Watching a time-lapse of a painting I worked on over two weekends, it looked smooth, almost deliberate. It did not feel like that at all.

This phenomenon often leads us to wonder

why progress looks easier in hindsight

There were pauses and second guesses. Moments where I changed things that had taken time, and others where I stepped back because I was not sure what to do next. Feedback and suggestions along the way also helped shape the final outcome.

The progress itself was anything but smooth.

Watching it back, I realised how a time-lapse hides the effort, the apprehensions, and the second-guessing that actually make progress possible.

Life and at times, work, feels much the same way.

Some of what we do comes from experience, but a lot of it comes from intent, common sense, instinct, and hope. Doubts and course corrections are part of the everyday routine.

What we do have is motion. We try things, adjust, sometimes undo decisions we were confident about not long ago, and then move forward again.

Most days, it does not feel like progress. It just feels like grind.

Maybe that is the part the time-lapse hides.

And maybe, like the painting, we are doing better than it feels in the moment.

Majestic mountain landscape with colorful sunset sky and rugged terrain.

By |2026-05-24T06:12:11+00:0016/01/2026|While the paint was drying|4 Comments
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Why boring consistency is the secret to lasting progress

Boring consistency is the secret behind every lasting achievement. Coastlines are not shaped by storms but by waves that show up day after day, same rhythm, same beat.

If there is one lesson I have learned watching the crashing waves, it is their relentless boring consistency.

The waves just show up, day after day, same rhythm, same beat.
Beautiful coastlines are shaped not with intensity but with this quiet, boring consistency.

Painting a seascape is no different.

Layering the paints, one coat after another with patience and purpose.
There is a calming rhythm to it.

Marketing in a B2B world works pretty much the same way.
Brands are not built by one big campaign or a flashy video.

They grow because some marketeer quietly keeps the rhythm going.
It applies to people too.

The ones who make real impact are not sprinting, they are pacing.
Meeting after meeting, task after task, showing up with small improvements that compound.

In the end, success is rarely dramatic.
It is a result of boringly beautiful repetitions

By |2026-05-24T06:00:32+00:0001/12/2025|While the paint was drying|0 Comments
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Why a painting is never finished

A painting is never finished. Every artist knows this.

You step back, decide it is done, and then notice one more thing that needs fixing. The same is true of most things worth making.

We recently had one of those rare and unlikely conversations about business growth at our company. The topics wandered into uncomfortable yet necessary zones like process improvements, utilization, and a few other metrics we had long chosen to politely ignore.

Two mantras stood tall through that storm of spreadsheets.

“We are creative problem solvers, not just problem solvers,” said the Chairman

“We will continue to deliver creativity at the speed of light,” reiterated the CEO, for perhaps the zillionth time.

Creativity seeks perfection, while speed demands release. Two seemingly mutually exclusive thoughts. Perfect opposite binaries of 1 & 0.
But then, I know the answers usually reside in that in-between or between 2 seemingly opposite views. One is not the enemy of Zero.

It is about learning when to pause the brushstroke and when to let it go.

Recognizing that perfection is a moving target, and progress is the real masterpiece.

Because whether it’s a painting or a project, creativity doesn’t thrive in endless tweaking.

It thrives in the courage to release it into the world, let it breathe, and evolve.
After all, a painting, or a project is never done, unless you have the courage to call it done.

Because, A painting is never done.

By |2026-04-10T08:12:26+00:0001/12/2025|While the paint was drying|0 Comments
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Why Every Good Idea Goes Through an Ugly Phase First

Ugly phase is important.

Every painting has an ugly phase — a point where the colours feel wrong, the shapes are clumsy, and every instinct says stop.

The ugly phase is not a sign of failure. It is a sign you are doing the work. Not just paintings, every new beginning has an ugly phase that should not be skipped.

As I worked on this painting, I was reminded of that truth again and again. For most of the process, the strokes were unsure, the colours felt off, the shapes were clumsy. Every instinct screamed, “give up.”

The trick is to keep going and trust the process. At some stage, usually towards the end, ugly becomes less ugly.

Whether it is a business idea, a new role, learning a skill, or building a brand, progress is never a smooth gradient. It is smudges, corrections, and stubborn repetition.

If you are in the ugly phase right now, good news.
You are not failing.
You are simply doing the work that beautiful outcomes demand.

Keep going.
Ugly is inevitable. Ugly is necessary.

By |2026-05-24T06:17:32+00:0001/12/2025|While the paint was drying|0 Comments
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Why Marketing Feels Like Chaos — and Why That’s Fine

Vibrant painting of Hindu gods riding a chariot pulled by white horses against mountain scenery.

The marketing rhythm of chaos is not a problem to solve. It is a reality to navigate. Brand, content, digital, and demand — four forces pulling in different directions. The job is not to control them. It is to find the rhythm.

When you start seeing marketing lessons, in your own painting, it is probably time to take that vacation.

Yesterday, while I was dusting off this painting, that I did couple of years ago, I did not think of Mahabharat or the Kurukshetra war. I saw marketing.

The 4 horses reminded me of Brand, Content, Digital, and Demand.

All 4 horses dramatic in their own way. Each one with its own personality. Each convinced it is the real hero of the journey.

Brand, the proud one, walks in like a royalty.
Content, the expressive one, wants to talk non-stop
Digital, the hyper one, sprinting ahead without instructions.
Demand, the impatient one, asking if the destination is reached even before starting.

When priorities pull in different directions the chariot rattles, but rein the horses in too much and everything stalls.

The four do not need the same strength or the same speed, they just need the same rhythm. The real art of marketing is knowing which horse to bet on, and when, because marketing moves best when each one pulls just enough to keep the chariot moving forward.

So if you are wondering which horse to bet on, and feel tempted to toss the coin for marketing decisions, trust me, that instinct is usually right.

PS: Krishna lovers, please forgive me for messing up His face. I am sure He will fix it himself with an avatar update soon.

By |2026-03-25T01:38:59+00:0001/12/2025|While the paint was drying|0 Comments
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What If We Painted Life Like We Paint on Canvas

What if we painted life on canvas the same way we actually live it. Not in straight lines, not with a clear plan, but with pauses, second guesses, and stubborn hope that it will come together in the end?

I have been painting this piece for the past two weeks, not because I had free time, but because life felt hectic.

A bit overwhelming even.

In the middle of all the chaos, something strange happened.

As the landscape emerged from a blank canvas, the stillness in the scene began to speak.

And through that silence, I heard three reminders.

1. “What if” is more important than “What next.”

What if Rajendra Chola built a temple by the Ganges with silent mountains standing guard?

I will never know if he contemplated this idea, but I am glad I asked that ‘what if’.

The rustic looking temple may look out of place in this landscape but then it is my world.

When stress peaks, it’s “what if” that rewires our thinking and keeps us going.

2. Stillness can be faster than hustle.

Rivers don’t rush, yet they shape landscapes.

Mountains don’t move, but everything around them does.

Progress is not always loud. Sometimes, it flows quietly without a to-do list.

3. The way to move a mountain is one rock at a time.

This painting reminded me about the power of that first step. The next one. And the one after…

One brushstroke at a time.

One section, one breath, one shift in attention.

Before you know it, you have built a world. Your world.

Sometimes, when life gets overwhelming, it’s not a sign to speed up.

It is an invitation to pause. (Or paint)

Or simply let the Stillness lead.

Ancient temple by a river with snow-covered mountains in the background, inspired by artistic imagin.

By |2026-05-24T06:09:37+00:0011/08/2025|While the paint was drying|0 Comments
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What It Really Means to Celebrate Women

Painting of a woman carrying her child

To truly celebrate women is not to rage against the naysayers. It is to recognise the quiet majority of good people who already show up every day. The noise distracts from the real story.

My heart longs for the day when women rise above the noise of negativity and instead, focus on the multitude of men who uplift, support, and celebrate them.

I yearn to see women beaming with pride, inspired by their own successes, and encouraged by the men who believe in them.

I look forward to the day, when every one realizes that happiness cannot be achieved through daily battles.

I hope that one day all woman believe that they don’t have to make noise to be heard. Good men can hear you through your silence.

So here’s wishing all the ‘happy’ woman who already know they belong. Because, real good men, already know you do. And know that we are better off, because of you.

By |2026-03-29T11:17:35+00:0008/03/2025|While the paint was drying|5 Comments
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Why Your Hard Work is Fulfilling a Purpose You Can’t See Yet

The celestial artwork

As though its purpose is done, the Sun slowly descended towards the horizon,  in a brilliantly blended yellow, orange and red sky. It was like an artwork masterpiece that no canvas had ever seen. The white star cut through this sea of colours, probably draping itself on its way down as it slowly morphed into a brilliant pinkish-red ball. Was it an act of defiance and reluctance to go below the horizon? In the moments that followed and as the dusk settled in, the beautiful pale tint of the orange sky changed into its lilac after-glow colors. Another earth day came to a graceful end, ready to embrace the darkness of night.

This beautifully choreographed dance and drama has been happening every day for billions of years, yet something about the Sun coming up or going down the horizon is awe-inspiring. Few sights on earth can compare to these magical moments. If you have doubts, ask those poets, artists and photographers who try to make a living by capturing these spectacular celestial shows.

The Orchestrator

Even as the Sun stole all the limelight, the earth toiled away silently, spinning about its axis with an air of indifference. The Sun may be the show’s star on the east and western horizon daily, but the earth knows that it is the orchestrator of this show. After all, it is the earth’s horizon that moved, causing this grand illusion of the rising and setting of the Sun, for the past 4.5 billion years.

But as the cloak of darkness engulfed the sky, the significance of the show I had just witnessed dawned on me. I was also amazed at the parallel this celestial drama shared with our lives. Was the Sun stealing the show or showcasing the earth’s hard work? The earth spins all day and all night. But only when its horizon goes past the Sun does its movement gets noticed. So, the Sun may not be stealing the thunder from the earth as I thought, but paying tribute to its selfless hard work, which otherwise goes unnoticed.

We toil away daily, hoping for that elusive success. But, while hard work is essential, more is needed to guarantee success.

We need a Purpose. We need our Sun.

We need a purpose that keeps us going without enslaving us to it. This delicate balance between hard work and Purpose makes life magical. One without the other is meaningless. Sun only uses the horizon twice daily to show off and showcase. Any more or any less exposure will mean no life on earth. At the same time, the show stops when the globe stops spinning. Both need each other to survive and thrive. 

Even if you don’t see your Purpose yet, keep doing your thing. But know that your hard work creates beautiful magic at the right moment somewhere on a distant horizon. Some important purpose comes full circle thanks to your tireless spinning. You will find that Sun soon even if you don’t see it now.

Vibrant horizon landscape painting by BhaskART, illustrating the connection between purposeful hard work and the series 'While the paint was drying'

A beautiful original canvas painting depicting a serene mountain river at sunset, highlighting BhaskART’s artistic reflections.

By |2026-04-12T04:42:52+00:0028/10/2022|While the paint was drying|0 Comments
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Why Purpose Matters More Than How Hard You Work

Effort without Purpose is meaningless.  Purpose gives direction to our aspirations, drives us to do what we do with Passion and influence progress.

The P of Painting

I did not know the P of Painting until a chance introduction to this art a few years back. Something about Painting Piqued my curiosity and I was constantly searching for that mystery P through the Plenty of childish, amateurish and lesser than few ‘not too shabby’ paintings. 

Is it Passion, Practice or Patience that drove me to Pursue this hobby?

A simple Google search will show that these are the apparent Picks. But are these the ones that made me go back to my Paints and Brushes weekend after weekend for the past four or five years?

Passion is a strong emotional high but it Plateaued every time I did a lousy painting. In other words, every other attempt for me. Practice is never a guarantee unless it is Perfect. And I also realized that Patience was not my virtue.

Perseverance

Could it be Perseverance then? – Keeping at it when all else fails, hoping that success will eventually knock on your doors. If not for anything, atleast for your efforts. Romantic and delusional as the hope may be, It does work for some. Ask any successful person, and they will vouch for it. So I Persevered even if my canvas was not getting any Prettier.

Did I Succeed with my Perseverance? I don’t know because I didn’t know my definition of success. My quest for that elusive P got more desperate as I believed the answers might be in it.

Lake Reflections Oil on Canvas

In the meanwhile, I recently Purchased a video tutorial by one of my favourite artists, Michael James Smith and tried this landscape painting. I felt happy not because of the outcome but because I tried it. I tried this Painting because I wanted to use specific techniques that would help me paint this landscape as realistic as possible.

Did I achieve that effect? Probably, not. But did I do better than I have ever done? Certainly, yes.

Not only that, this Painting revealed that elusive P that was hiding in Plain Sight all along.

Purpose

Pursuit of Progress has always been my drive for this hobby. Every weekend, I pick my brushes and canvas not to express my creative self. I know that I am not the creative type. But, I Practice hard to reproduce the image in front of me on my canvas as close as I possibly can. Despite falling short of my Pursuit by a million miles, I Persevere because of one thing that binds all the essential P’s together – Purpose. It is not about what I Paint or how I do it. It is not just about grit or glory. It is not about quantifiable success either. 

It is about why I do it.

It is all about the hope that I will be able to look back, years down the line with  a smile and say – Well, I tried, and I made Progress. Even if the Progress was just marginal.

And that will make all the difference.

By |2026-03-21T06:21:23+00:0026/05/2022|While the paint was drying|8 Comments
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Lessons from an auto rickshaw ride

Lessons from an auto rickshaw ride are not what you expect. You climb in, hold on, and hope for the best. But if you pay attention to the driver — the navigation, the instincts, the trust — there is a lot to learn.

Have you ever felt that helpless frustration of being taken for a ride?

If not, then maybe you have not experienced an auto-rickshaw (Tuk Tuk) ride in India. For some, an ‘auto’ ride is like a death wish on three wheels. While, for some others, it is one of the essential conveniences to beat traffic and time. But irrespective of the side you belong to, it is customary and fashionable to complain about the rude auto-rickshaw drivers and rough rides that follow.

I have realised that there is more to this ride than just the rough side. If we manage to hang in there through the potholes, sharp turns, tampered fare meter, et-all, this ride can actually teach us some important life lessons.

Lesson 1: Every Problem has a solution

Now and then, in life, we feel overwhelmed by a challenge that seems impossible. An auto-rickshaw  faces this situation every day on jam-packed roads with hardly any space to maneuver. And yet, they find a way to move forward. How do they do this?

They don’t look at what’s in front but what’s ahead. They find the gaps while most of us only see a vehicle blocking our path.

“Focus on the solution and not the problem, even if the solution is not too glamorous or popular”

Lesson 2: Unknown angel is better than the known devil. 

 When faced with overwhelming problems (heavy traffic), the ‘auto’ almost always goes into roads less travelled. Sometimes even into streets with no road. It may seem reckless and risky. But think about it. A known devil (the main road with traffic) is a devil. There is not much you can do about it. Whereas, there is always chance that the new route could be an angel. A 50% chance of success is better than a certain failure, is it not? It is the hope for an angel rather than the fear of the devil that helps navigates the traffic.

“A gamble is always better than the status quo. Our problems result from our fear of failure and the resulting inaction.”

Lesson 3: Take that first step

 An important and fascinating lesson I have learned through an auto ride is how a solution emerges once we desire to solve the problem. The trick is to take that first step, however small it may seem. Have you noticed how an auto-rickshaw manages to pass through the narrowest of gaps that were not even wide enough for the front wheel to pass through, to start with? They never wait for the complete solution to emerge but work with what is available lets the answer evolve. Course corrections are part of the norm. True pioneers of the agile methodology, I suppose.

“If you want to move a mountain, you begin by carrying small stones – Confucius”

Lesson 4: Self Belief

It is easy to believe that for a vehicle on three wheels and a high centre of gravity to stay on the road without tipping over, it must be a miracle at play and not just engineering logic. But miracles don’t happen every day. Do they? The supreme self-belief of the driver in his driving skills, his confidence about his vehicle’s capability, and the knowledge of the road is what makes this miracle happen every day. Essential traits for success. Aren’t they?

Lesson 5: Success is not a popularity contest

These drivers are not the most popular ones on the road, and they don’t care about winning hearts either. If you have a time-crunched passenger on board and stand-still traffic to cut through, then being Mr Nice will not work.  So do not bother preaching them road rules, the auto-rickshaw would have zipped past long back.

Experience life through the ride

An auto-rickshaw ride is not just an experience of a lifetime, as some westerners think. You actually experience life through the ride. Complain if you must, about the nerve-wracking, back-breaking ride next time you get into one of these three-wheeled marvels. But, try to sit back and enjoy the adventure while it lasts. You may pick up few amazing lessons for life too.

“Life never takes us for a ride. It only takes us on a ride. Therefore, it is up to us to enjoy the distinction and, more importantly, enjoy the ride while it lasts.”

Auto rickshaw on a city street during sunset with traffic and city lights.

By |2026-05-24T05:53:55+00:0002/11/2021|While the paint was drying|0 Comments
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Does light defy or define darkness?

Ever since God said, ‘Let there be light’, we worship it as a saviour. Light is a symbol of truth -a glimmer of hope. But, on the other hand, darkness is the evil that is feared. So, unless you are a Dracula, it is best removed or avoided.

Does light defy or define darkness?

“Every search for a hero must begin with something which every hero requires, a villain”.

Interesting words of Hollywood wisdom by Dr. Vladimir Nekhorvich. If you are wondering, he develops the deadly Chimera virus and its cure in Mission Impossible II. Think about it. What is the point of a hero when there is no villain to defeat? Or, what is the purpose of light if there is no darkness?

The misery and fear caused by COVID 19 qualify it as pure evil and darkness. The quintessential villain. But, thank God to movie wisdom, we know that where there is a villain, there will emerge a hero. Usually, a forgotten one. So this pandemic is as good a reason as any for a hero to appear.

So who is that hero?

Who is the real hero

Is it the lockdown? Or travel restrictions? Of course, these efforts helped for a while until we decided that they did not.

So, is Vaccination the chosen One? We will know the truth in the long run. But, who has the patience to wait? Anyway, with so many nay Sayers around, we cannot call it the Chosen One yet. For now, we can call it an excellent sidekick to the hero, at best.

Self-Discipline

The real hero is our self-discipline – Mask, social distancing, hygiene and many other small but essential aspects that keep us safe. Habits that make us humans. Good practices that we long forgot and proudly branded ‘New Normal’ when we remembered them.

We ignored self-discipline and let the pandemic determine how we lived. Unfortunately, it took a powerful villain to unearth a strength that we forgot. We allowed the adversity to define the our responsibility. 

We searched for the match stick after dark. But will we at least keep the flame on longer? Will we let discipline live with us, or are we already forgetting the hero again?

Let there be light

God said, Let there be light. He must have said that for a reason. Light is supposed to define and defy darkness. Whereas, we are letting darkness dictate what the light should do. The villain has become the need for a hero to appear. No wonder, the light is relegated fighting a lost battle of defying darkness.

Let us not lose it again. Let us not ignore our hero. Let us not lose those disciplines. Are these the new normal?  Shouldn’t they should simply be the norms.

By |2026-03-25T02:10:44+00:0020/09/2021|While the paint was drying|0 Comments
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Are you a Lion or Lamb? What are the versions of ourselves

Are we this, or are we that? Are we not many versions of ourselves at different times? Why can’t we be the best version of ourselves instead?

The fun is out of my comfort zone

Now and then, we come across a piece of creation and wonder if we had what it takes to do that. In my case, an interesting painting by Marcel Witte, a world-class artist who paints realistic animals, caught my eyes and kindled that deep desire to try. My initial apprehension was the patience required to bring out all those details. After all, you can learn techniques through YouTube videos but not patience.

But then, fun is all about playing out of your comfort zone. Is it not?

I had to resist the temptation of rushing through for nearly 40 hours. But thanks to the relentless push from a friend, I completed this work. Finally, I stepped back from the canvas to admire the finished painting—my own Lion and Lamb.

Lion or Lamb

Lion or Lamb

When you stay focused on a particular subject that long, subconsciously, you start forming doubts and theories. Is it a good painting or a sad painting? Should I make the Lion carry a cub instead of the poor Lamb? But then, I was not sure if the Lions moved their cubs. I know lionesses do. Should the LambLamb be scared? Do lambs have an expressive face to show fear or happiness? In cartoons, maybe.

Then came the clichéd doubt in my head. Am I the Lion or the Lamb? Who would I rather be?

A lion is Powerful and Majestic for sure. That is cool, especially if you play a leadership role. But, the beast is undoubtedly Ferocious and Feared. Not too cool, but that is not going to hurt your position as a leader. A mighty Lion grabs what he wants and when he wants it. Modern management gurus will dig this Alpha predator characteristic and set you as the benchmark for Leadership.

A lamb, on the other hand, is cute at best. It brings about a smile when you look at their clumsiness. But then they are lunch or dinner for just about every beast with claws or fangs or even a knife and fork. So I certainly would not like to be the vulnerable one.
But then I am not a lion either, as much as I envy most of its power.

One

By now, the painting progressed significantly and reached a point that I had to take that decision of cub or a lamb in Lion’s mouth.

Just then, I remembered a fundamental principle of painting realism. Paint what you see and not what you think should be. The original masterpiece had a lamb in Lion’s mouth, and so will my Lion too.

For the remainder of the painting, I did not worry about the cause or logic. I did not care if the Lion was hungry or if the Lamb was scared. It did not matter to me if the Lion protected the Lamb or took it to the dinner table. I became an earnest trier, an artist who wanted to get better, a hobbyist who wanted to have fun, a humble student who was not worried about failing and many more at different stages of the painting process. All that mattered was the fun of putting paint-dipped brush to canvas and saw those images shaping up. I was many versions of the one person that mattered.

After all, the Lion and Lamb is a metaphor for the ultimate sacrifice (Lamb) of God and his resurrection to life (Lion). Many versions that ultimately represent the ONE

The best way to be is to become the best version of ourselves

My Lion and Lamb painting might be a humble imitation of the original masterpiece. But, alas, this painting might not be exhibition worthy or good enough to be sold. And it does not matter. After all, what matters is that this painting will keep reminding me that we do not have to be a mighty lion or vulnerable Lamb.

The painting reminds me that we do not have to bother about the game but be the best player while the game is on. It does not matter if we understand the play as long as we act the part we chose to perfection. It tells me that let us not worry about the war but battle hard as a true warriors as long as we are standing.

We do not have to be something or someone but be many versions of ourselves constantly trying to get better.

Because the best way to be is to become the best version of ourselves.

By |2026-03-26T02:09:16+00:0030/07/2021|While the paint was drying|0 Comments
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The Big Picture

Are small details the enemy of the big picture? Or do these small details form the big picture?

The good part is, no one will admit to not seeing one for the fear of being brandished as not too smart. After all, it is the realm of visionary leadership trait. Details are often relegated to the poor foot soldiers to deal with. After all, Leadership is all about showing the Big Picture is it not? Besides, if we just focus on the small details, we will never get the big picture. That is a good excuse to avoid details and paint your version of the big story. Do you agree?

Creating my own magical world

Having done a few canvas paintings over the past 3 years, I wanted to transition to the larger versions. Or in other words, I wanted to paint a big picture. A very big one at that. The fun part of painting on canvas is that you create your magical world and live in it.  Maybe not forever but at least as long as you are painting it. It’s a different matter that I have never figured out why these paintings always looked better in my head than on the canvas I have painted in.   Well, that is a challenge for another day.

Acrylic on Wall

The Big Picture and Bigger Challenge

Armed with paints, brushes a blank wall, and more importantly the permission to paint the wall, I was all set. I even had a reference photo so that took care of the problem of my ‘creative- challenged’ mind. And, before I knew it,  I was staring at the huge blank wall in front of me – A proverbial blank canvas that I could paint my world in. I felt like God.

But then there was this small question that posed a big challenge. Where do I start? The harsh reality of the magnitude of the task ahead erased every hazy detail of the image I had in mind. (Ok, in the laptop screen).  Did I say, I felt like God? An overwhelmed clueless God, I must admit.

“The man who moves a mountain begins by carrying away small stones.” – Confucius

But don’t little things matter? Don’t these small details make big things happen? I  decided to tackle the challenge by focusing on the details and started painting one little detail at a time. One tiny brushstroke at a time. I chose to ignore the big picture and looked at everything close-up.  I was no longer trying to create a Master Piece but focused on the smallest of details. Slowly but steadily from the blank emptiness of the wall emerged a serene forest.  25 hours later when I stepped back from the wall, there it was, my version of the big picture. Click here for the video to see the details up close.

Not everyone is a gifted visionary. Ordinary mortals like my self, may not be able to paint a big story that inspires the world. But that does not mean, we cannot get there. We simply have to take a different route. We can reach that big picture, with one tiny brushstroke at a time. Layer after layer, detail after detail, element after element we can build our picture up without feeling overwhelmed at not seeing the big picture.
Big Pic Collage
Close Up Pictures of the painting to show details

Small details are not the enemy of the big picture.

In fact, they are not mutually exclusive traits of leadership too. So do not bother about figuring out if you are a big picture person or the details person. You can be both. You need to be both. There is no shame in paying attention to details.

We can be that foot soldier who takes care of the details that help emerge the big picture. One tiny detail at a time creates a large forest. Nature has been doing it successfully for billions of years. So why can’t we?

By |2026-03-25T02:08:19+00:0030/07/2021|While the paint was drying|0 Comments
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