Art and Creativity: When Did You Discover that Art was Your True Calling?

Many of those of us who become artists can loosely point back to some unspecified part of our childhood and say that "we loved to draw" or we "loved to play with modeling clay."

Truth be known, that's not so unusual-- most kids feel very free to express themselves before "life" comes along and starts to place limitations on their creativity. So why do some become artists, while others become accountants?

The Many Different Paths

Although some artists "always knew" that art was their thing, just as many come to creativity somewhat later in their lives. 

Personally, I never thought of myself as particularly creative or artistic. I was pretty much a "solid D-minus" art student when I was in high school. My efforts in life drawing classes were-- in a word-- pathetic. I tried my hand at abstract painting, but it never really called to me... and that lack of enthusiasm very clearly could be seen in my mediocre and rather lifeless efforts.

And that can be one of the paths that keeps someone from pursuing art, even for enjoyment: if enough people give you the feedback that you're not really any good, odds are you'll find something else to work with. I did... for many years, in part due to my parents' sadness that I was not "the next Rembrandt."

Conversely, some folks have very encouraging parents... but perhaps not the inclination to be artistic. In time, it becomes evident that the encouragement and art lessons are more about trying to fulfill a parent's lost dreams from the past, than pursuing their own. I've seen that happen, more than a few times.

Commercial Success and Other Stories

Of course, some people work quite hard at being artists-- and are quite talented-- but give up because they just don't seem able to find commercial success. 

And whereas I can certainly appreciate that it may feel important to be able to "make money" with art, I have met few commercially successful artists who'd describe "making a living" as the most important reason for being an artist.

To me, it's an understandable argument from the perspective that it's definitely nice if you can at least afford to buy your art supplies with proceeds from the sale of your art. Let's face it, art should be enjoyable, not a financial burden!

Indirect Paths to the Artistic Life

Some people come to be artists through indirect paths.

One of the artists we represent at the Red Dragonfly was in the military went on a couple of tours of duty to Iraq.  After his second return, painting became an important part of his "reintegration therapy." In a matter of a few months, this otherwise very quiet man discovered that he had a lot to "say," through his paintings. Today, he is one of the more successful painters we know.

He's also an example of how we sometimes forget (or overlook?) that art is not just "something to look at," but is also a form of communication. 

Art as therapy-- often in connection with either stress relief, or as part of recovery after a serious illness-- is actually a fairly common way for people to discover that some form of visual expression is their true calling.

Art For the Challenge of it!

Art is also a challenge for many people.

It's a challenge to learn, a challenge to master your medium-- whatever it is-- but above all it becomes a lifelong challenge. And it's a challenge that can help you live a healthier richer life.

I didn't really start seeing myself as "an artist" till sometime in my later 40's. One of the interesting fringe benefits of working with something creative on a daily basis... is that I have almost zero interest in watching TV these days! Art serves to engage the mind during those times where we might otherwise zone out with something mindless. 

TV doesn't challenge my brain; art definitely does. I still feel like a bit of an "impostor" sometimes, comparing myself to those with prestigious MFA degrees... but that's when I have to remind myself that I am simply enjoying the challenge.

Freeing the Mind!

Once you learn to let go of learned limitations ("you must color inside the lines!"), art can be a great way to expand your mind and your sense of personal freedom. 

The neat thing about art is that as long as you are enjoying yourself, it's one of those things you can do that never really has a "wrong answer." You may not be able to create exactly what you had in mind-- but what you did create wasn't exactly wrong... it was just an experiment, and you can have a do-over!

And when you get really absorbed in working on a piece of art-- and maybe spend hours at a time, deeply absorbed-- you might also learn things about yourself that you didn't previously know. It's one of the ways I have found art to be "inadvertently therapeutic" sometimes.

If-- like most artists-- you make most of your living from an external job, the pursuit of art actually helps your performance at work, especially when it comes to creative tasks. In essence, art retrains your brain to expand beyond the "inside the box" thinking we were taught early on by adults who told us "You can't DO that!" 

Communication, Communication, Communication...

As I mentioned before, art is more than something we look at-- it's a form of communication. 

As such, it can be a way to reach other people and make them think differently from how they currently think; maybe to view the world through a different lens of perception.

I touched briefly on art-as-therapy, and again you may discover that you can "say" things with paintings or sculpture you haven't been able to say through other channels. And that's pretty awesome!

But now for Discussion! Whatever your path and point of entry to art may have been... WAS there a point at which you realized that art truly was "your thing?" Or is it still a hobby for you? What keeps you working with artistic and creative endeavors? Is art your career? Leave a comment and be part of the discussion!

Thank you for reading! Red Dragonfly is a proud member of the @sndbox creative initiative.

The Red Dragonfly is an independent alternative art gallery located in Port Townsend, WA; showcasing edgy and unique contemporary art & handmade crafts by local and worldwide artists. All images are our own, unless otherwise credited. Where applicable, artist images used with permission.