"We must not be too ambitious. We cannot aspire to masterpieces. We may content ourselves with a joy ride in a paint box. And, for this, Audacity is the only ticket." Winston Churchill.

My Dad and I visited Chartwell - home of Sir Winston Churchill. Unsurprisingly, it is a beautiful house, surrounded by well planned and maintained gorgeous gardens. It seems this statesman, this politician who served for 62 years, was also a budding botanist and a most enthusiastic painter.

It was not his paintings, however, that captured my imagination, but his attitude to his art. He began painting in his 40s - some may say, quite late. But his passion was filled with child-like joy and, 'audacity'. His style is bold and colourful - resisting the attempt of 'professionals' to have him use more muted and pastel shades.

"-on trying to paint a pale blue sky... I cannot pretend to be impartial about the colours. I rejoice with the brilliant ones, and am genuinely sorry for the poor browns." Winston Churchill.

'Brilliant' is a word rich in ambiguity. I know you're brilliant - you may not have found your passion yet, where your natural brilliance can shine, but this blog is a nudge to encourage you to keep looking - it's there. Sir Winston Churchill didn't discover this particular strand of his brilliance until later on in life, but the important point is that he found it. And then he had a bash! He found joy in a paint box!

The guys and girls in grey will encourage you to 'tone it down' - and you'll get catalogues from 'World of Beige' as you get older. But resist. Be brilliant, be audacious, be creative! Your country, your continent, your civilisation expects you to be the best you that you can be.

Lex

A Moodscope member.