Wednesday, December 14, 2011

SLOW DOWN!!!! It's all moving way too fast!

I'M BLOGGING!

Wow!  I'm now officially a "blogger".  How in the world did that happen?!  It was only just last week that I started using Facebook.  Granted, I signed up for it sometime the beginning of last summer, but I only just recently added a profile picture and am now in constant contact with my..., 31 friends.  Yes, that's what I said, 31 friends.  I only hope that a man's existence and worth is not based on the number of friends he has in Facebook alone.  

My reason for blogging is simple, my fiancee says I need to.  But now that I'm "blogging", I can see how it can help.  I'm not one to open up and share my feelings with those closest to me, but for some reason I'm more likely to open up and share my most inner feeling and emotions to complete strangers.  It's a lot like having a personal diary with a lock and key, except now everyone has a key.  Rest assured, this is not going to be one of those touchy feely blogs, although on occasions I might have one of those moments, but bare with me!  This is going to be a blog where I can share my work and experiences being an artist and to grow as one as well.  But, before I ramble too much further and lose the other half of my readers, let me tell you a little about myself. 

My story in a few paragraphs -

I grew up an Army brat and enjoyed every aspect of it.  I loved the fact that every year or two, I had the chance to pack my bags, move to another state and start all over again.  Unfortunately, I found that the end result was always the same.  I was an introvert and meeting people and making new friends was a real struggle.  But nonetheless, I grew up knowing that the military was going to be my career and IT WAS..., for about a year, but that's another blog yet to be started.  : )

It was a car accident some years ago, that introduced me to the world of the #2 pencil and everything turned upside down.  Up until that day, I thought they were only used for homework assignments and shading in the circles of those aptitude tests we all took school.  Suddenly I found that with a blank piece of paper and a well-sharpened pencil, I could create something beautiful.  For several months I was laid up recuperating from surgery and drawing kept me sane.  We’re talking pre-Oprah days and from that point on I drew absolutely EVERYTHING!  Because of this new found hobby, my future went from a planned career in the military to that of an illustrator.  Upon graduating from college, serving a short stint in the Army, I headed out into the world seeking my fame and fortune with a brand spanking new HB pencil.  By that time, I had discovered that the #2 pencil was, in fact, used only for the homework & useless tests and that an HB was the standard for what “real“ artist used.  As I struck out, I struck out… BIG TIME!  What I found, at least in the world of design and advertising, it really didn’t matter how straight you could draw a line, without an education or the proper schooling in the arts, no one was interested.  As time went on, I drew less and less and what I did draw, I gave away, threw away or hid away.

Many years later, after taking a few drawing class and being introduced to other mediums, I discovered that life is too short and wonderful to be spent locked up in some grey cubicle staring at a computer screen.  I’d much rather be surrounded by people of like mind and interests that inspire and bring out those long suppressed dreams and hidden talents that get lost through that thing called “life”.  I wanted to return to those naive days of the #2 pencil.  Those days when I drew, because I loved it and nothing was better than seeing someone’s eyes light up when I gave them something that I had placed so much love into.

Almost a year ago to the day, I opened up my etsy shop called "dot4dot".  My hope was and still is, to continue to bring joy to others and brighten up their eyes.  But, as much as I’d like to continue to hand out free drawings, the urge to eat and a place to sleep, forced me to place a value on my work.  To this day still, when someone asks me how much a print cost or how much a drawing would be, I hesitate with a price.  To me, it's only a piece of paper with a few pencil marks and consequently of no value.

Through this blog, I hope to build a belief in myself and in my abilities.  To learn to accept who I am and what I can do.  To push myself to a level way beyond what I believe I'm capable of.  To place a value on my work.  My dream is one day, when someone asks me, "What do you do?",  with the utmost confidence I can say, "I'm an artist and I can do anything!"

5 comments:

  1. Congrats and welcome to the world of blogging! Soon you'll be addicted like I am! It's cathartic in a way, almOst like a public diary :) So glad you decided to jump on board and bare another part of your soul with the world! Can't wait to see what's ahead for you!

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  2. Thanks Rhi! Could not and would not have done it without your support.

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  3. you know my mom (aka aunt ethel) was ALWAYS proud of your artistry! She loved you so much and bragged about you all the time!! She says you got it from her gene pool! love you!

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  4. may i also add that that is a very sexy photo! (can i say that since we are related???)

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  5. Aunt Ethel!!! Love her so.... : ) She was very, very artistic. I'm sure I got it from somebody's pool!

    Sexy?! Wow! My blog is working! I feel better about myself already! Love you too Jeanne!

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