How to draw a Good Enough rose

[blockquote source=”Thomas Holcroft”]Love and a red rose can’t be hid..[/blockquote]

First, why a rose?

If it’s not obvious, I absolutely adore what I do for a living. (LOVE it!)
My clients like to point this out to me, actually…usually having a hard time hiding their smiles as they do so.

But you know what? That’s fantastic! Our love for what we do – our passion for what we bring to the world – should be like that red rose. It can’t be hid. And when we try to hide that love for what we do – to fit in, to play by the rules, to behave as we think we should at work – well, that rose inside of us withers and dies just a wee bit.

Well, screw that!!

Our roses deserve to blossom and grow in full sunlight and view of the world. It’s our passion and purpose that makes the world a better place, after all! My rose thrives when it’s seen…and I thrive that much more when I get to revel in the beauty of the roses around me. I’m guessing the same may be true for you, too. ;^)

So, if it’s time for the rose inside of you to get a little more sunlight…or if you need a reminder to let your creativity blossom…then it may be time to draw a rose of your very own! Here’s how:

Three Tips

For me, a rose is always built from the inside out. Whether it’s the fully blossoming rose above, or the rosebud about to bloom below, the drawing starts with a tight center swirl and spirals outward. For fully-blossomed flowers, the spiral is ruffly like the rose petals themselves. For the rosebud, the spiral is clean and tight because the petals are compressed in the bud.

The size and number of rounds for your spiral spinning outward determines the size of your rose. Looser spirals call for fewer rounds, while tighter spirals call for more. Periodically stop your spiral and see how you’re liking the size of your rose.

Lastly, our Good Enough rose isn’t complete to my eye until it has leaves framing it. It’s the thing that truly transforms that ruffle spiral into a flower. Remember that the size of your flower’s going to partially obscure the base of those leaves, so play with how much leaf is showing from beneath your rose and notice what the amount of leaf showing does to change the size of your rose.

A rose for Kristi

A rose continually unfolds, and so do the opportunities in our businesses…if only we cultivate them and give them the right conditions for growth. For my business, that meant hiring my very first part-time employee! Kristi Beckett’s joined the team as the Big Picture Solutions Cruise Director…and we couldn’t be happier to have her on-board! And what’s her favorite flower? The rose! So Kristi, this rose is for you!

What does YOUR rose look like? Draw yours up, Tweet it out to @jeannelking #goodenough, and let your creativity blossom!

Looking forward to seeing what you draw forth!

P.S. Want to have fun drawing AND inspire others to pick up the pen at the same time? Got something you wish you could draw, but you’re not sure how to approach it? [highlights color=”ffea00″]Tweet your drawing or idea to @jeannelking and tag it with #goodenough: it could be featured in an upcoming “how to draw Good Enough” blog post![/highlights]

How to draw a Good Enough rose

First, why a rose?