I Can't Draw! - #myartisticjourney
I sat down to write a short post asking a question and this poured out onto the page. There is a lot and I'm still writing so will be splitting this into several posts.
Like a lot of people my first exposure to art was through my parents, they never insisted we should stay between the lines or that a carrot be orange, our colouring books and drawings were full of purple swans, swirls scribbles, glitters and glue. But when my world grew a little larger and school came along I discovered fairly quickly that isn't how other people thought art should be.
By the age of 6 my favourite thing to do led to ridicule and contempt from my classmates and teacher, who would make an example of me by bringing me to the front of the class, pointing out every flaw in my work before ripping it up. Needless to say, I soon learned to draw in the lines and paint a white snowman like every other child in the class.
I hated it!
At home I threw away all my art supplies and just stopped. My dad noticed and tried to encourage me but I was pretty stubborn back then, However he did become my hero when he angrily stormed into the classroom to defend me, telling the teacher "You wouldn't know art if it kicked you in the face".
Thanks Dad!
What I didn't know then was my Dad had been through similar experiences, growing up he wanted to go to university to study design and architecture but his family had the opinion that only faggots went to university and did everything they could to stop him, something my grandfather later told my dad was his biggest regret.
Art was suddenly everywhere, he'd watch documentaries hoping i'd join, point out the artistic merit of everything when i was about. Then several years later he took us all to the Tate Modern in Liverpool. I sulked from one exhibition hall to another, dragging my feet and proclaiming boredom until in a room full of exceptionally large colourful canvases and sculptures, a much smaller framed painting caught my eye.
Suddenly it was hard to breath!
I never know how to end a post properly, so for now I'll just say thanks for making it this far and please follow me if you'd like to read the rest of the story.
At home I threw away all my art supplies and just stopped. My dad noticed and tried to encourage me but I was pretty stubborn back then, However he did become my hero when he angrily stormed into the classroom to defend me, telling the teacher "You wouldn't know art if it kicked you in the face".
Thanks Dad!
What I didn't know then was my Dad had been through similar experiences, growing up he wanted to go to university to study design and architecture but his family had the opinion that only faggots went to university and did everything they could to stop him, something my grandfather later told my dad was his biggest regret.
Art was suddenly everywhere, he'd watch documentaries hoping i'd join, point out the artistic merit of everything when i was about. Then several years later he took us all to the Tate Modern in Liverpool. I sulked from one exhibition hall to another, dragging my feet and proclaiming boredom until in a room full of exceptionally large colourful canvases and sculptures, a much smaller framed painting caught my eye.
Indeed! I'm a professional artist and I know what you mean... the frustration is hella heavy and it always pushes you down.
I'm always trying to give a help to artist here in Steemit I also made a quick guide to become a professional artist and you are more than welcomed to check it in my blog. It's the very first part but I will be doing more and more with time ;)
I just popped over and had a read it's a great post. I'm looking forward to the next installment.
great dad you have there ! my dad always wanted me to become a doctor but i am so scared of blood and i kinda disappointed him a lot but still , a dads love is endless :) even now that he is in the sky i know he still love and take care of me :)
I'm sorry your dad isn't here with you anymore. I do have great parent's mum was encouraging to but art was more my dad's thing.
Interested to read more, your dad sounds like a hero :)
He is, that incident with the teacher was outstanding.
He acted the way a father should act. Well done him :)
I had the same thing happen to me with math...feel your pain ;-)
I hope you have managed to overcome the self-doubt it causes and are enjoying math again.
I don't have to take math tests anymore. I had to take college algebra three times because of panic attacks making my mind go blank. I do iconographic art that is based on sacred geometry and I LOVE it...I lost my night terrors and panic attacks at a meditation retreat. I did a lot of retreat work years ago. I wasn't looking to let go on anything but I was looking for equanimity. I saw fractals meditating when I hit access concentration, I still do, it's a consistent phenomena , I am not kidding! I think the mind is mathematical sound and light...
I remember that trip to the Tate and your grump.
I also remember complaining because you wouldn't move when I didn't want to look at the artwork and just wanted to do the activities. Lol
haha you got there eventually :P