I spent some of my time today organizing my art studio. Maybe if I call it that it will inspire me to really be an artist. That is a label that I’ve never associated with myself. To me being an artist means that you seriously make art, exhibit it, and sell it. That’s legit. That’s confidence. I am but an amateur. I dabble.
Art has always been in my life. It was my favorite subject in school and a few times I was singled out for my artistry. But nothing big. I took private art lessons while I was in high school and learned to use a variety of media. I decided to go to college to be an art teacher. I started my first semester and then a head on collision caused by a fast driver left all my family in the hospital and changed the direction of my life. I stayed home to take care of my family. When I went back to college I changed majors and became an elementary teacher. I still loved art and minored in it taking all the art courses I could and loving them. I felt that I did have talent and my professors agreed.
But as things do life happened..marriage, children, and I put “artist” on the back burner. I still did crafts and used my creativity in teaching but didn’t draw, paint, or pursue artistry. I gathered art materials and occasionally took to paper and made something. Usually because I was so out of practice I wasn’t satisfied with the results which made me discouraged. I decided I wasn’t a real artist.
And so it went until last year when I decided to take art lessons each week. I have loved having a specific time to sit down and my teacher is very encouraging. I have produced some things I am very proud of.
Now having an “art studio” with all my materials gathered in one place gives me an actual place to sit down and create. I hope to schedule time twice a week to just sit there and make art.
I'm glad that you are making time to create art. As Vonnegut say, it makes your soul grow. It's never too late to tackle what your heart calls you to do. I, too, have taken a few art classes, and I was told I had artistic talent by my professors. But life intervened, and art never happened. As a teacher, I tried to incorporate art into many of my student activities ~ I even had a literature and art class after school for my gifted kiddos for many years. You give me hope that further along in my retirement I still have the time to explore that side of me. Sending you lots of encouragement to go after it, my dear friend!
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