Painting

I moved a framed self-portrait I painted onto the living room wall, which I had spent hours decorating and cleaning, hoping it would fit in nicely with the space. It actually worked because it matched perfectly with a beautifully painted silver frame. Last night, my mom sent me a picture of it, but with nothing attached—just the image. Yes, it’s me, yes, I painted it, and no, there was no explanation. Yesterday, she said, “I don’t like this painting.” There was a pause, then, “It’s a nice painting, and it’s cool, but it doesn’t belong there.” If only she’d just said what she really meant instead of dancing around it! But sadly, no one ever really does. It’s frustrating to put so much effort into something only for it to be met with vague feedback, especially when it feels like no one’s being honest about what they really think.

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