I’m an artist. There, I’ve said it. Over the past four years, I’ve posted a lot of art on social media. It’s as much of a healing process as it is therapeutic for me. Never did I expect the level of success that I’ve gained from having put my work “out there”. Never did I imagine that so many people would appreciate my art work. Thank you.
It’s truly a humbling experience. I’m honored to have my art included in so many projects, including a music video! It’s wonderful to be accepted and included into the culture that is the art world, what a mesmerizing world and experience it is.
I’m honored to be compensated for what I would do freely.
But it’s important to me that you know how the artist in me came about. You have to understand that I didn’t grow up an artist, I wasn’t the kid with a sketchbook, who loved to paint. I never took art classes, or attended art school and I never dreamt of having my own artist studio.
Recently a FaceBook memory popped up on my FB feed, and I was astonished to read what I’d written ten years earlier. Back then the younger me was still hopeful, that one day I would become a writer, the post was from 2011. I hadn’t picked up a paintbrush…
Back then, I dreamt of becoming a writer. As a kid I was an avid reader, I walked around with a small notebook to jot down my observations and I memorized author names and the book titles that they wrote. I was born through and through to become a writer, albeit a female writer who set aside writing to raise a family back in 1991.
It’s odd to read it. I’ve been called a prolific artist, in the past five years I’ve completed 200 paintings. Some are more interesting than others. My husband Ben says it’s fascinating to watch my progress, which he says has been steady. Remarkable even.
I’m humbled that I get to paint, that I have no stress in my life other than my paint becoming too stiff to work with, or my colors becoming muddy. I rarely get angry, except for the rare occasions when I accidentally leave paint on my paintbrushes overnight.
For me, painting has become like eating. I don’t live to eat, I eat to live, and it’s the same with painting, that is I paint to live and in that way, painting keeps me here. It’s a good thing.
In the upcoming months my art and my writing will converge in a beautiful way and I’m excited to share that news soon. Meanwhile. I want to thank everyone who took time to respond on FaceBook with a simple like or a kind comment. Believe it or not, every time you liked my art online, it fueled me to keep painting, to keep going. All of your encouragement has had a profound impact on my success.
You know who you are and now you also know that you are truly appreciated❤️🙏
