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I’ve recently had two conversations with people who are interested in tapping into an artistic side.  Let me tell you, if you have the desire and the time - you can do it!  
I’ve been painting for almost 10 years.  It was something I had always wanted to do, but either didn’t have the time, money or something else took precedence over my time. 
Finally, one day at work, when I was a Business Analyst, I needed something that was mine and mine alone. I went out and bought a paint set by Bob Ross with the VHS (yes it was a VHS). :-)
I setup a make-shift easel in the garage, turned on the video and started trying to paint my happy little trees.  Yeah, it didn’t work. :-)   Bob Ross has a wet-on-wet style which is really not for a beginner (in my opinion).

Painting of a Painted Bunting
I remember talking to a lady at my work, Sandy, about really wanting to paint and she told me about a friend of hers who taught in her home. Sandy gave me her number, I called that day and started my first painting the following week.  

The teacher had me pick a picture/painting that I was interested in and a group of us were painting, chatting and commenting on each others paintings; I learned more in one hour than I did watching Bob’s videos!  
Frankie
Every Thursday, for a year and a half, I traveled 30 minutes one way from work and an hour back to my home for these weekly lessons…I looked forward to it every week.   The 3rd week, I asked my teacher if I could take my painting home and work on it – she let me have at it.  I painted almost every night. 
1 of 3 Still lifes I set up in our living room
My paintings got more and more complicated because I wanted to challenge myself, I was the competition. 

Then one day, my teacher moved to Florida to retire and she sent me to Shane McDonald who took me further than I had even thought I could.  
Shane met with us in the basement of one of the girl’s house.  His insights into my paintings were different and I wanted to learn more. 
Peanut
The first painting I did with Shane was of my dog Peanut (since Peanut passed away – one of the reasons we are organic gardeners – but that’s for another story). 
I started going to Shane’s studio, along with other artists, an additional day a week and I started a sketching class.  I think the sketching class helped me a great deal (I never thought I would draw a live naked model – think Susan in this season’s Desperate housewives – I struggled not to be embarrassed – I never did draw certain parts :) ).  
For the first 30 minutes of the Wednesday night sketching session, the model would pose for 5 minutes and we’d sketch, then another position for 5 minutes and another position.  It was an excellent exercise to loosen up and tap into the right side of the brain. And again, I’d learn from the other artists.  Everyone sees the subject differently. and has a different technique – it is truly amazing.
 
When the LilMan was born, my time became VERY limited (I worked days, Ben worked nights and we tried to keep LilMan home with me), so I had to stop painting for a greater need. :)   Then we moved from Atlanta to Huntsville and we put LilMan into daycare while I worked and Ben had a daytime job, suddenly I had energy again!  But not enough time/patience for oil painting (the drying time is long with oils).

When we moved to Huntsville I didn’t know anyone.  I found out about a “Bottles and Brush” in Huntsville where the instructor walks you how to paint “xyz” step-by-step while having a glass of wine (right up my alley). “Bottles and Brush” was my introduction into Acrylic paints, after two hours I walked away with a completed painting! Before that I always used oils because I loved the depth of oils.  What I found is that I wasn’t using the right acrylics.  There is a HUGE difference between the craft acrylics and the artist acrylics.  For oil-like acrylics I use Daler-Rowney Acrylics, in my opinion, they have a consistency like oils, just as colorful and have additional benefits to oils like: dry faster and easier cleanup.
Just this year I started painting on fabric and experimenting with both acrylics and oils, my mom started China painting when she was in her 50s, something she had always wanted to do but for the same reasons as me, didn’t.  But now, she has some of her China pieces in museums!
The bottom line, if you have a desire to paint, just get started – it is a journey you will not regret: call your local art school, botanical garden, craft store, museum or art society and find a teacher. 

All you need is the desire, the tools* and a teacher,  the gift will develop.

*When you find a teacher, ask what they recommend based on the type of paint that you want to use.

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