Pencil to the paper, that’s where my journey into the world of art began. My fascination with traditional art didn’t start with a grand vision or making a masterpiece. It began as a simple act of relieving stress, as I found comfort in the embrace of drawing through feelings.
As far back as I can remember, I’ve been a doodler. My notebooks were filled with intricate patterns, random shapes, and endless lines. Every blank page was an opportunity to express my feelings, energy, and emotions. It was a practice that allowed me to clear my mind and find a sense of calm amidst the chaos of life. You should see what a blank piece of paper looks like after I get off of a long phone call!
What started as small doodles gradually transformed into a passion. I discovered that I could convey not just my thoughts but my very essence through my art. My love for traditional art became one of my favorite pastimes, something that I could turn to whenever things felt too overwhelming.
My preferred subjects were as diverse as the emotions that flowed through me. I found passion in drawing faces and capturing the intricate play of expressions. Headshots allowed me to dive deep into drawing people, to depict the stories hidden behind their eyes. I even like to make them abstract and change up the classic human form.
I fell in love with rendering emotions – joy, sorrow, anger, and serenity. Each stroke of my pencil was a portal to my mind, a release of my inner stressors. I would often find myself sketching teary faces when the weight of the world got to be too much, or joyful things when life’s blessings surprised me. Hair, with its range of textures and patterns, became something I love to draw as well. The way it flowed and was drawn represented femininity and my womanhood.
Sceneries, views, and nature were also subjects of my artwork. In those moments, I didn’t just see the beauty of the world; I felt it. The fall leaves, the serene lakes, and the beautiful mountains came to life in my drawings. Nature was a muse, providing endless inspiration and an escape from the pressures of life. My favorite nature drawings are from sitting on the beach in Hawaii, drawing sea turtles, volcanoes, and mountains.
My art is my release, my therapy, and my sanctuary. It’s a refuge where I could pour my emotions onto the canvas, releasing them to the world. When the storms of life would occur, I would lose myself in my art, finding peace in the rhythm of my strokes and the unfurling of my creative spirit.
As I continued on my art journey, I began to accumulate a collection of my work. My sketchbooks were adorned with pieces that mirrored my emotional journey, a living testament to the turbulence and triumphs of my life.
The act of creation filled me with pride. Not because I considered myself a professional artist but because I could look at my work and see the evolution of my soul and mind. I saw my growth, my resilience, and my capacity to find beauty even in the darkest moments. I love seeing the art I create through emotions.
Doing art has taught me that we all have a unique way of dealing with the stressors of life. For me, it was through the strokes of a pencil, the creation of lines and shades that revealed the complexities of my being.
In a world that often feels chaotic and unforgiving, my art has remained my place for comfort and my constant companion. I’ve learned that sometimes, in the act of creation, we discover the truest parts of ourselves. It’s not about what others see in our art, but what we see in ourselves when we create it.
And so, my art journey continues, a path of self-discovery, expression, and relief. With each new sketch, I reveal who I am and what I feel. My traditional art has become not just an escape from stress but a celebration of life, a reminder that even in the darkest moments, there is beauty waiting to be discovered.