"Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up." ~ Pablo Picasso
Years back, there was a t.v. show on called My Two Dads. It was about a girl who, when her mother died, was left in the care of her mom's 2 old flames who, consequently became fathers to the child. One father was an accountant or some kind of financial whiz while the other was an artist. The artist was depicted as somewhat irresponsible and a free spirit. Being financially successful didn't matter to him, because he had so much joy in creating.
I was very caught up in that imagery - the joy of creating. For most of my life, I didn't see myself as an artist. An artist was someone who was born with natural skill - they could draw or sculpt or design without any help or instructions. Paintings just flowed from their brush without any effort. They were creative geniuses.
I also had the idea that being an artist wasn't the way to make a living. Their income, at best, was minimal. They were flighty. They were rebellious to social norms. They were...different.
Yet the idea of being an artist intrigued me.
I wanted to be different. I didn't want to be tied down to
The problem was, as I grew older, I couldn't see how to do that. I didn't think I really possessed any skills that qualified me to be an artist.
But, then one day I realized that art is what comes from your heart. You don't have to be flighty; rebellious; regarded as a creative genius or anything else. An artist is one who says so. Who says to the world,
"I am an artist."
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