My Passion For Painting And Its Role In My Life
Growing up, I was a very basic child. You could learn a lot about me from a quick glance in my closet. You’ll find no clothes, but shelves filled with motorized Lego kits, fantasy books, model rockets and remote control cars. I had the simple child aspiration to be the next Spiderman. However, I had no passion for the activities I did. All I ever wanted to do was run around and wrestle, but art changed that.
I can vividly remember the precise moment when art became a big part of my life. It first piqued my interest while I was in primary school. I was sitting at my table, visibly grumpy, while the other children cheerily threw paste and pasta onto a sheet of poster paper. I had just finished my macaroni man, but instead of proudly wanting to show it to the teacher, I sat there confused. I intuitively knew there was something more to art than that. I asked the teacher if I could do something else, something harder, but she merely smiled and told me my macaroni project looked 'pretty'. It was obvious, even to a child like me, that I would not get help with my newfound interest. At that moment, I found my resolve. If I were to progress, it would have to be on my own accord. For the first time in my life, I became cognizant that only through hard work and dedication could I ever achieve anything meaningful–and for the first time in my life, I wanted more than ever to do so. So I would practice and practice and practice. The start of any painting, drawing or composition was always the most daunting. Sat behind my blank canvas, certain that I would spend hours on the piece, uncertain if it would be worth those hours. I always had self-doubt that I would end up with a piece I was unhappy with. The voice in my head was so clear, “You’re wasting your time. Give up.”
Art let me freely make my mistakes and use them in a positive way to improve on myself and my work, unlike other classes where it was either wrong or right. I could take the blunders and turn them into something great. In art there was no wrong or right. Instead of looking at my blank canvas and doubting myself, I would look at my blank canvas and see an opportunity to improve on myself, and in the end be surprised by what I could do. This is something I’m taking into my future; the ability to shut off those doubting voices and just going for it. It has made me diligent, hardworking and confident, not just in art, but in everything I do. Now when I face a challenge, rather than choose to sit down and give up, I work through it, unafraid of the mistakes I might make.
