My mornings a few months ago were a haze of lukewarm coffee and doom-scrolling through my phone. If only I dared, I could feel my imagination aching to spring free as I kept catching flashes of amazing pastel painting artwork online. Under complete impulse one afternoon, I registered for a pastel painting workshop at my neighborhood arts center. I was both excited and afraid as my only prior art “credentials” were clumsy kindergarten doodles with crayons.

First day was, well, a disaster. My effort at a basic sunflower resembled a bristly sea urchin; my pastels fell under my dubious hold. But Helen, my teacher, enthusiastically said, “Art thrives on mess!” wearing turquoise smudges like badges of honor. Her attitude helped me to stop fretting over every stroke and begin to welcome the anarchy. Errors suddenly become opportunities—bright eruptions of color I never had in mind.

My works changed lesson by lesson. Moody, expressive sky replaced plain fruit trays. In week three, my breakthrough occurred when a stray magenta stroke started an unintentional sunset that astounded me. On a whim, I uploaded a picture online; my buddy messaged me saying she would buy a print. That first sale was like a celestial wink: someone really appreciated my inadvertent creations.

Riding that confidence, I applied to have a booth in a pop-up market. Before making purchase on my pastel work “Evening Whispers in Lavender,” a bearded gentleman with vivid eyes stayed over it. He said it reminded him of a dream, and at that point I realized why art is important.

Though I never intended to sell my work, every purchase now serves as a letter of encouragement from the universe. The pastel dust on my fingers reminds me daily that creation is messy—and that the best discoveries usually come from letting go and simply playing. So go for it if you have ever hesitated whether to make the jump. Your next pastel stroke might literally transform your life.