Carol Steinberg painted her sensual experience.

Then she posed this question:

“Can you feel the papery translucent skin, smell/taste the onion, hear the brush strokes?”

I do. Can you?  I asked if she’d be game to write something too. She wrote this:

The Sensuality of Paint
First: the colors, pushed out of tubes, laid out in subtle schemes, changing slowly from one to another, light to dark, warm to cool, yellows, oranges, reds, blues and greens, violet, black.
Second: the feel of the brushes against the canvas, gliding or scratching or blobbing.
Third: trying to capture the light of what is observed, often by emphasizing the dark.
I’ve stopped smelling the turpentine.  I hear the brush scraping and whatever music is going on in the background.
I see, but not in the usual way—just observing color against color, shape against shape.
I taste the possibility of getting it this time.

What I love is how Carol brings the humble onion to life. In her reverent observation, she slows down time. Asks us to truly see the onion. Appreciate something we might otherwise ignore.

Paired with her writing, something is revealed. We get a glimpse of the human condition through Carol. An artist, a woman alive to the moment. A woman who strives and yearns. We see ourselves.

Carol earned a BFA from Cornell, and an MFA from CalArts. She’s been painting off and on since she was eight. This year, she is seeking ways to monetize her training and her passion. Sometimes this is a matter of translation. One needs an interpreter. It’s talented, soulful people like Carol who inspire me to coach and create training for artists who want to connect to their entrepreneurial side — (and entrepreneurs who want to access their inner artist). Her artistic gift and sensual engagement enable us to connect — to ourselves, to each other. Thank you, Carol, for reminding us to consider the onion.

When we peel back the layers of an onion, more is always revealed. Pungency and power is released.

When we take the time to observe, when we deeply engage our senses, we become more fully alive. In art. In business.

In life.

Make no mistake. Your customers will sense this. If you’re not engaged, they’ll turn away.

Have you engaged your senses today? Tell us how in a comment below.