Growing Up Doesn't Mean Leaving Our Dreams Behind

I am a daydreamer by nature. As a child, if you caught me gazing off into the distance you better believe my mind had transported me on an adventure in a far-off place. Now, that same glazed look is often my mom-brain searching for an elusive word, or scheming about how I am going to get my kids to nap.

When @senorcoconut posted his Guide to Making Dreams Come True I knew that I, Mrs. Canadian Renegade, would have to get involved.

Can you believe, I actually had to sit down and scratch my head when @senorcoconut asked if I had made any of my childhood dreams come true? To be honest, I didn't want for much growing up. My parents had a sweet little house in a quiet neighbourhood and there was a ravine practically at our front step. There were plenty of kids down the block and while our imaginations ran wild, my needs were always met. My dreams didn't truly begin to grow until I entered adulthood and started discovering how far the corners of the earth actually stretched.

When I wasn't busy riding bikes, chasing my brother into the ravine, playing dolls, or accidentally weeding the flowers from my mother garden beds, I was busy writing or making art. I loved poetry, story telling, and creating. I used to meticulously study cartoon characters so that I could recreate them. I would practice drawing them over and over again until I got the lines just right. I just thought art was a part of life.

Photo by Debby Hudson on Unsplash

In high school, my art teachers pushed me to think harder and push beyond my original ideas. I found myself experimenting more and more. One particular project produced several transfers from trial and error and my teacher asked to take my unwanted pieces home. She was ecstatic when I said yes and it was in that moment that I began to understand that creating wasn't just to bring myself joy, it was to bring others joy as well.

When I graduated, one of my art teachers sent me home with a stack of art paper, acrylic paints, pastels, and charcoal. He told me he knew I would continue being an artist. Several years later, that same teacher would help me prepare a portfolio for my college entrance.

Shadow Pots Pottery | Photography by Aimee

I took a few years off before returning to school. I'd taken a C.A.L.M (Career and Life Management) class in high school that was meant to assist us in preparing a resume and deciding what job field we would be suited to work. While I can't quite recall what career path was recommended for me, I knew I wasn't satisfied. In fact, I was downright disappointed.

Why couldn't the survey suggest that I paint murals, mold sculptures, and bring beauty to the world. I was disheartened, lost, and refusing to take general studies in the meantime. Instead, I would work to save money for school and would attend post secondary open houses to help me find my calling.

I Painted these shoes for the CIBC Run for the Cure campaign as a tribute to my mom who is a survivor

One day, my aunt asked why I wasn't creating for a living. She encouraged me to look harder at how I could turn art into a career. Then I thought, maybe I didn't need to be the next Picasso, maybe I could try a different kind of art. We are bombarded with art every single day, and while plenty of it is sloppy, you can still find come real gems if you take the time to really look. I am talking about commercial art which often ends up being a form of advertising. While some may believe that advertising couldn't possibly be art, the reality is art is subjective.

It's true, most commercial art is boring but there is a craft to taking something truly unappealing and bringing it to life. Making someone want to look at, what could be, boring material takes thoughtfulness and skill. Once I knew the direction I was headed, I didn't take long to find a program to get me started on this new journey.

Dahliettas are one of my favourite flowers and I had the opportunity to photograph them while working with a local greenhouse.

My first year of college was reinvigorating. We had to begin with the basics and dabbled in everything. I was so grateful to have the opportunity to work with so many mediums: drawing, painting, photography, and 3D modeling, just to name a few. I went in with the mindset of an illustrator and left as a photographer. Not only was I able to hone my skills as an artist, I had acquired new skills with composition, and digital art along the way.

A snippet of an infographic I created for a local greenhouse. I digitally illustrated nearly 30 different tomato varieties.

While working in the field of graphic design, I have been forced to be flexible and learn both new skills and technology on the fly. I have become more versatile than ever. I have created websites, magazines, tutorials, invitations, and info graphics. I have photographed athletes, pottery, flowers, gardens, and life moments. I have even painted shoes to be featured in a Magazine.

Even writing ad copy has taught me how to create enticing sentences and to tell a story with a few simple lines of text. Being a part of Steemit has even given me the chance to continue my passion for writing.

I may not be putting a brush to a canvas, but I am creating, I am inspiring, I am being an artist.

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All photos are by the author, unless the sources are otherwise stated.

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