When I was a child, I "knew" I couldn't paint. I "knew" that, because some other kids could, and it seemed to just flow for them, whereas I seemed stuck in the same shapes, lines and colours from the age of about 6.So, I sort of gave up on the idea of ever painting. Wasn't something I could do.As I grew older I began to realise that everyone can learn technique, whether it's technique for sports, or music, or exams or.... art?I thought maybe I should give a class a go. Maybe I'd just confirm my ineptitude. Closure in a certain way.Class one : paint a cube! It was a little shaky. But I realised one thing on the first day, just using black and white and creating shades (or "values" :) ) of everything in between, I could create the impression of depth. Suddenly, the strokes of a brush and the choice of a different value of grey to the one adjacent to it, made me see "something" on the canvas. Thanks Clayton! First of many subsequent moments of enlightenment.I progressed. Cylinder! Still, one of my favourite pieces. It just stood out against the background. I realised that I also had amazing flexibility to define what I thought should be in the picture, and what I could include to help me finish a coherent work. Didn't have to be exactly everything before me, I could make progress and bring it to a finish.After a few classes, I started on organic forms, basically faces, and fruit. A few times I thought, this is just going to end in disaster. Yet, a helping impulse from Clayton and the piece would come together again. I realised that learning as a journey was enjoyable and that it would never be perfect. It would just be very fulfilling.I haven't taken as many classes as I would like due to the usual distractions in life, but I feel i have belatedly started a journey that we should all begin, the one to express ourselves visually. Technique gives us structure, practice gives us confidence, results give us pride.Thanks, Clayton. You got me started.