I consider myself and artist. Not because I think I am any good at what I do or because I think my work is marketable; but because I absolutely must "create" in order to be happy with my life. In this respect I believe everyone on the planet to be an artist in one way or another whether they are aware of it or not. I am aware of my need to create just like I am aware that I need to eat, breathe and sleep. My mediums vary as well as my subjects but whatever I find myself creating it gives me purpose.
My creative process is sometimes tedious and defeating but I know I have to do it. One of my goals in life is to be a better artist. It's a never ending goal and I can always work toward it. That is part of what makes it so special to me.
There are a lot of things I struggle with as an artist. When I am working on a piece of art I usually always hate what I am working on for the first few sittings. I find that the pieces I hate the most in the beginning tend to be the ones I end up actually liking in the end. This could very well be because I spend a lot more time on these pieces and they grow on me. I am not really sure. Sometimes I struggle with patience as well. If I am nearing the end of a piece (or what I think might be the end) sometimes I want to rush through it and stop. I think this leaves me with a lot of work that I feel is unfinished. Sometimes when I feel uninspired to start something new I come back around to these old pieces and do some finishing touches. One of the biggest challenges I face is knowing when I need to put a piece that I am working on down and come back to it later. There are times when you just have to walk away from your work and come back to it with a new perspective. If something isn't working right for me I find it difficult to walk away from it. I have ruined more than one painting by messing with one particular spot over and over until it's far worse off than when i started with it. Despite all of these difficulties that I have making art is the one thing I can enjoy doing in almost any setting. I can do it alone, with a group of people or in a crowded public place.
Someday I hope to be gainfully employed utilizing my ability to express creativity. Until then I do what I have to do and that to me is painting/drawing/sketching as much as humanly possible.
