a wish for you

*proof that I live, Nikon D50 digital*

art washes away from the soul, the dust of everyday life-Pablo Picasso

years ago, I felt the call to put brush to paper or scissors to paper or glitter to paper. My inner critics, then much louder than they are now, stilled my hands.

It took mighty effort to overcome those voices and put the brush to paper finally.

And when I did, I didn't like it much. Or the one after that either. I felt awkward and frustrated and impatient. I wanted to put the brush down on paper and be confident and create worlds that people would immediately oooh and ahhh over and make me a famous artist.

Now, I don't know (and haven't bothered to look), but I bet Picasso didn't start out painting Picasso's. I bet he started out trying to recreate something he saw elsewhere or maybe something in his head and had many stops and starts until he was able to get clear on what it was his soul wanted to express.

If I have one wish for you dear reader~or anyone that is a tentative artist~it is to impart the knowledge that you aren't an artist only when you create Picasso's. I wish for you to know what I have learned~being an artist is about making mistakes. Mistakes and trials and 'hey this might be cool' are your greatest teachers. You are an artist when you accidentally tear the paper, when you throw out your canvases, when you get frustrated and don't look at your paints for a month. You are an artist when you create the same thing over and over or use the same colors or paint simple flowers or smiley faces. You are an artist when all you do is cut pictures out of magazines or endless heart shapes or cover everything with glitter glue.

This is how you learn what your soul wants to express~every time you look at something and your heart says 'nah, not quite right', you are learning more and more about what it is you want and need to say. Your soul will always keep moving you on the right path, even when the path is unfamiliar and you don't ever remember wanting to draw people in charcoal or paint landscapes or make cards. And one day, you will hear your soul say 'oh yes'.

What does your soul need to say?