SWNOVELS Chapter 27
CHAPTER TWENTY SEVEN A BIT TOO ECCENTRIC
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*Jacob, the brave! While your jaded airs may suggest skeptic’s soul, I sense within you the smoldering sparks of a defiant creative spirit just waiting to be stoked into an inferno!”
Without breaking his theatrical stride, he was already snatching up a stained leg warmer and blindfolding the bewildered teen with it.
“Therefore, I shall first awaken your unshaped instincts by depriving you of visual distractions – only the pure emotions driving your expression shall guide your strokes!”
Plunging his brush into an ominous sludge of charcoal and crimson with a flourish, Diego abruptly gripped Jacob’s wrist and began guiding the hapless teen’s hands in broad, furious slashes across the canvas while he flailed helplessly.
“Let the anguish pour forth in unbridled defiance!” Diego bellowed with manic intensity, his own body whirling and contorting as he channeled his protege’s painting into a series of savage, discordant motions.
“Rage, rage against the weight of oppressive conformist society with every fiber of your being!”
On the other side of the room, Jasmine was making a concerted effort not to get drawn into matching Diego’s performative hysterics. Instead, she settled herself with a steadying breath and met the questioning gazes of her volunteers with a warm, encouraging smile.
“Alright everyone, let’s all try to quiet our minds for a moment and simply speak from that raw creative well within,” she began in an unhurried, soothing cadence. “Finding our center and tapping into those sparks of inspiration that make expressing ourselves feel so vital.”
Agnes was nodding meditatively, plump fingers already gliding in unhurried, strokes.
Marcus remained hunched over his easel with furrowed intensity, the harsh slashes of his brush strokes echoing the thrash of his shaggy dark locks with each vehement motion,
Even Penelope’s normally immaculate posture had softened slightly into a more pensive, open positioning.
True to her grounded approach, Jasmine continued providing soft murmurs of guidance wherever they seemed needed as the others settled into their individual creative trances.
“Let the piece evolve organically, Penelope sometimes surrendering to intuition yields the most. revelatory results…”
“Beautiful Marcus, I can already feel that wellspring of youthful defiance radiating outward in those bold, kinetic strokes…”
On and on it went, her gentle encouragements swirling through the charged atmosphere of the room like a calming balm.
Despite the chaos, she felt a sense of profound contentment suffusing her entire being this was her true
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element, channeling the transcendent flow of pure creative expression.
Time seemed to bleed away into an infinite tableau of deftly guided instinct and flowing pigments.
Jasmine was vaguely aware of Diego raving and gesticulating wildly alongside Jacob’s frenetic, blindfolded painting, but the manic spectacle seemed to hold no sway over their own meditative process.
At least, not until the unmistakable sounds of a freshman physics lecture began blaring from the studio’s speakers at deafening volume; shattering their hard–won artistic musing with all the subtlety of a bucket
of ice water to the face.
Jasmine startled so violently at the disruptive cacophony that a wide streak of cobalt arced across Marcus’s half–finished rendering.
The teen let out an outraged bellow of “Dude, what the fuck?!” that was promptly drowned out by the nasal drone.
It didn’t take long to identify the culprit – Diego was practically levitating in the throes of glee, cackling as he gestured towards the speakers from which the grating lecture was emanating.
“Do you see now?” he crowed through cupped hands, somehow audible over the din ringing through the studio. “The crucible of your ordeal has only just begun
Jasmine opened her mouth, fully prepared to shut down this latest ridiculous disruption through sheer force of vocal indignance. Before she could, however, Agnes had already surged forth, marshmallow cheeks flushed with uncharacteristic vehemence.
“That’s quite enough from you, you melodramatic little tart!” she barked, shocking them all with her unrestrained ferocity as she leveled one mittened fist squarely at Diego’s sternum.
Diego stumbled back, looking shocked that the tiny grandmotherly woman was so furious at him. His usual over–the–top arrogance crumbled.
“How dare you insult the sacred creative process with these childish games?” Agnes went on, scolding him harshly. “Have you no respect for the spiritual journey artists undertake?”
Her rosy cheeks were flushed bright red as she jabbed an accusing finger towards the blaring lecture noise. “Turning art into some ludicrous ego–driven competition with artificial torments? You should be ashamed of yourself!”
Diego opened and closed his mouth like a gasping fish, at an utter loss for words in the face of Agnes’s tirade. The rest of them could only gape in astonished silence.
Finally regaining her usual sunny composure, Agnes brushed off her hands decisively and turned to face Jasmine with a warm smile.
“There, that’s dealt with.” She gave a simpering wink. “Shall we return to our bucolic meanderings, dear?”
Jasmine couldn’t help but let out a surprised laugh, immensely grateful for the stalwart woman’s grounding presence. With a decisive nod, she moved to shut off the droning lecture, restoring blissful quiet.
“You’re absolutely right, Agnes. No more indulging distractions or grandstanding.” She swept her gaze across the whole group, expression open and sincere.
“Why don’t we simply focus on creating from that honest, unbridled space inside ourselves? That’s where real growth and connection happen.”
One by one, her students exchanged looks and gave murmurs of heartfelt agreement, regaining their previous states of meditative artistic flow. Even Jacob shucked off his blindfold with a peaceful exhale. picking up his brush once more.
As for Diego, he could only watch in impotent, sputtering dismay as the group simply shut out his disruptions and pretentions. When he finally seemed to find his voice again, it had lost every last vestige of its earlier bluster.
“B–But…you
cannot just dismiss me and my passionate creative truth so simply!” he protested feebly. slumped against the speaker with a look of wounded dejection. “I am the spark that stokes the fires of–”
“Give it a rest, amigo,” Marcus cut him off without looking up from his easel, brushing inky strokes with
vetewed viger. “This tutumatt again
Jasmine Torso They
ethelin men fe fingering bank allowing te avstamusa the company a mos of
renewed vigor. “This tortured ego–trip of yours is pretty much burnt out.”
Jasmine held Diego’s crestfallen stare for a lingering beat, allowing her expression to convey a mix of gentle understanding and quiet assertion.
No words were necessary – the unspoken acknowledgment of her guidance and teaching philosophy prevailing over his needless histrionics hung in the air, plain as day.
With a visible slump of resignation, Diego finally allowed his brush to clatter to the floor in defeat.
As her students continued boldly creating all around, Jasmine felt an immense swell of pride and fulfillment in her chest.