Is It the Right Time? On Art, Waiting, and Showing Up Anyway
- Belinda O'Dell
- Jul 13
- 2 min read
I’ve been taking a break.
From art.
From teaching.
From shows.
From volunteering.
From pushing, producing, performing.
I just needed a second to breathe.
To restabilize, recenter, and reestablish what this all really means—what my art means, what I want it to serve in my life, and where I want it to go from here.
At first, I sat and waited for an answer. You know that kind of waiting—the kind where you think you’re being intentional, but really, you’re circling the drain of a thousand distractions. Scrolling, snacking, spiraling. Asking the Universe for a sign while refusing to move until it drops the answer into your lap, gift-wrapped and glowing.
While I was frozen in place, yet another bout of imposter syndrome winning the day, I started thinking about it differently. The Universe takes its sweet ass time, and the answers?
They’re often in the waiting.
Not at the end of it.
Art Doesn’t Leave You
My business isn’t going anywhere.
My skill isn’t going anywhere.
In fact, the more I play, practice, and learn, the better I get.
No youth required. No ideal schedule. No muse.
Teaching is something I’ll still love in a year, or ten. Art will always have a role in my life. Sometimes loud and shining. Sometimes quiet and underground.
But always there.
There’s Never a “Right Time”
Rick Rubin suggests that ideas have a natural timeline. When it’s their time, they’ll make it out into the world, with or without you.
That hit me hard.
Because if something has been whispering to you—if a project, a painting, a class keeps circling your mind—it might be because it’s time.
But you’ll never know if you don’t try.
I’m Still Here
So maybe not today. Maybe not next week.
But someday—on Zoom, or in a warm studio somewhere, or at a table with strangers-turned-friends—I’ll be teaching again. I’ll be showing up. I’ll be making art.
And maybe, so will you.
Because even if the timing isn’t perfect,
the spark is still there.
And you’re allowed to return whenever you’re ready.
Want to Create With Me?
If you’re finding your way back to your own creativity, you’re not alone.
I’m still here—offering art classes, workshops, and quiet encouragement for when the time feels right.
💌 Join my email list for future updates https://www.belledicksonart.com/subscribe
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