Vintage Fangirl Art: December 2021

Saturday, December 4, 2021

Story of an Artist

I've been thinking lately about my journey as an artist and where it all started.

Genetics

“Being artistic or creative is associated with the personality trait of being open to experiences,” Garrison says. “Some research suggests that there are neurobiological foundations for creative individuals. Based on all available information, it is very likely that the capacity for creativity is shaped by genetic influences –– it’s a complicated way of saying that creativity and artistic interests can almost certainly be inherited.” Source

So there you have it. I get my artistic talent from my mom. She did some drawing and painting, and she inspired me to want to draw as well. I really started drawing in high school. Here's a picture of me in my high school art class. I did double-period art for junior and senior years because I loved it so much. And my art teacher, Mr. Mikas, was such a super cool guy! He really tried to get us to think creatively and see the world from an artist's eyes.

Me during art class in HS - Junior Year

My first drawings in high school were of the Beatles. I did some graphite, pencil, and marker drawings. Not the worst, but I definitely needed to hone my craft!

John & Yoko
This is one of my drawings from high school.

Fast forward 20 years. I kind of forgot about drawing for some time. I was too busy finishing college, student teaching, teaching (those first years are extra brutal!), getting married, and having kids. So drawing was the furthest thing from my mind. Then as my kids got a little older, I started getting back into drawing a little bit during my summer breaks.

Drawing of Edward & Bella circa 2009

A few years later, around 2015, I had a family situation (that's a LONG story) that created an opportunity to basically do a drawing almost every single day. Art was my therapy and helped me get through some really tough times. This is when I began to gain more confidence as an artist.

Slowly my skills as an artist began to improve, although I didn't see it at the time. When I look back at art over that period of time as a whole body of work, I see the progress. I look back at my Deviant Art gallery, and I see it. My gallery is from most recent to oldest. So if I go to the bottom of the gallery and scroll up, I can really see the changes.