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An Artist's Path

Elderly man

An Artist's Path

 

"Believe me. Your hardship, tears and sorrows you are facing now are the training of your spirit. The strength you learn from there brings you more love and smiles in your future. Wherever you are, love all the people around you like your family. Then you are not alone anymore." -Hiroko Sakai.

Many times, the path of being an artist can be lonely.

 

On one hand...

some artists can feel alone and against the world they know around them. In these cases, they are probably in one of many scenarios where the core thought of those around them is that you cannot make a living as an artist. They are constantly discouraged from pursuing art and are having to fight based on solely their convictions alone. Each "bad" painting is considered an utter failure and has the potential to chip away at the path in front of them until it crumbles before their eyes. Then, they run the risk of falling onto the more accepted path by those around them.

On the other hand...

some artists can be surrounded by art and other artists, but the consensus is to be in constant competition and comparison of one another. Rather than understanding and appreciating the path each of you are on and that they are all going to be a little different, there is a lack of support and comradery. It doesn't matter if you are deemed at the bottom, in the middle, or at the top of the pack. Everyone is constantly striving to play "King of the Hill" and knock you down regardless of your arbitrarily assigned position on the hill. It can become exhausting and cause artists to take a hiatus, and some have such a bad taste in their mouth that they don't return.

 

How do I know about these places? Because I have been in both.

But please know that even though the path of the artist isn't easy, it isn't one that has to be filled with discouragement. There is this blissful place in the path of an artist where you find your tribe. The people there with you through thick and thin. The people that while walking their own paths (art or not) are also being the cheerleaders along yours.

All of the discouragement, the competition, the negativity, the pain, the sorrows, the tears, and the hardships seem to fade in your rearview. Now, sometimes they will crop up full force to try and knock you off the path, but now you have arms ready on either side to catch you, pick you up, dust you off, hug you, and send you back on your way.

For anyone that is needing to hear this right now, hold on. You can do it. Not every voice will discourage or judge, and when you find your tribe, it will be all the sweeter because of the bitter.

Hand-painted in Adobe Photoshop CC using the Wacom Intuos Pro and the Wacom Art Pen.

 
Elderly men on bench
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