Is It Ever Too Late?
For most of my life, I wished I was an artist.
My sister, who is an artist says, “Yeah, but you can write. Writing is an art.”
Being a visual person, I am drawn to visual art.
I’ve tried doing some artistic things here and there, but I’m just not very good at it.
Taking over a month, several erasers, and some mechanical drawing tools from a college course I took decades ago to do what a “real” artist can do in a week, or maybe even in couple days, doesn’t qualify.
I had to take pictures of these buildings, get prints made, then using my mechanical drawing tools, measure and replicate. It was painstakingly slow.
I feel, for me anyway, mechanical drawing is more mathematical than artistic. These took so much time and effort; I had them made into note cards.
I’ve always wanted to be able to capture the wildflowers I love so much in a sketch book I could carry with me on walks.
I want to be able to paint them in watercolors so exquisite that they come to life and whisper to you to come find them.
I have a stifled need to express myself in a more tangible and tactile way than just writing.
I used to draw these doodle kind of things in high school. They were nothing spectacular, but they were fun.
My daughter-in-law has started doing these doodle type drawings that have my juices flowing again. They’re like doodles on steroids!
I got one of her originals for Mother’s Day this year (she did the drawing and my son colored it in) and now I’m so inspired, I just want to doodle.
I’ve looked at this a hundred times already, and each time I discover something I didn’t see before. I love it!
I’ve started doodling again.
I’m not going to wait until I can take a drawing class, I’m going to get a pocket sketch book and carry it with me on walks and sketch my heart out, albeit poorly.
If I put in the time, maybe I can get good enough to satisfy my need for something visually creative.
So, is it too late for me?
I’m still breathing, so my answer is no!
~~~
Join our community
Subscribe to get our latest content by email.
Yeap – things like that should be on a bucketlist! Many writers start to draw at one point to illustrate their books… Blyb – heiner
Now, there’s an idea!
I was a writing major in college. One semester, I had the opportunity to take an art elective. It was a 3-hour studio art class for beginners, and it was buckets of fun. We were introduced to all different kinds of materials and techniques, and because none of us were art majors, it was incredibly freewheeling experience. It might even qualify as my most favorite class ever.
Since then, I’ve messed around on my own and also taken various art classes. I’ve also taken a lot of performing arts classes and had fun doing lots of different things on stage — local theater productions, stand up comedy, storytelling, improvisation.
I’ve always told my kids, “Art is for everyone!” And the walls of our home are filled with art that we’ve all made, that friends have made, or art that we’ve found somewhere that really spoke to us, along with musical instruments, and musical recordings–stringed instruments, keyboards, percussion. We’re a family of writers, dancers, painters, drawers, singers, musicians, movie makers, performers, photographers. Art isn’t about something being “good” but about doing something that moves you. I find that if that’s the intent, whatever finished piece you end up with tends to move others as well, expressing and sharing some facet of existence, and some part of yourself as you relate to it all. Art is for everyone, and all art can be “good enough.”
Annie, I like that. I guess I should be less critical of myself. Growing up with Lou who has such an incredible artistic gift, I guess it’s difficult not to see my “inadequacies” as an “artist.” And now with my daughter-in-law Fey, she’s very talented also and almost everyone in her family can draw well.
I love that your family is so artistic. I think art is incredibly important (I just think I’m incredibly untalented).
I appreciate your encouragement and your point of view. I will try harder to just enjoy the process (which I’m doing with this doodle thing!).
Love you…c ❤️
Another pivotal moment in college for me was being invited by a grad student in the art history department to visit the Museum of Modern Art in Manhattan. I had this idea that I wasn’t qualified to have an opinion on art and a fear that if I said what I thought I’d be revealed as ignorant. My companion was so kind and let me know that there isn’t a right or wrong way to respond to art, that it isn’t necessary for me to know everything there is to know about an art form or an artist’s intent–or anything at all, really–in order to enjoy it or have an opinion. We spent the rest of the time at the museum deeply observing the art and then discussing our responses. Sometimes a single piece of art affected us in completely opposite ways! It was so much fun, and I’ve never forgotten that day.
You know. I’ve never taken art seriously as something for me personally for somewhat the same reason, even though I’ve always wanted it. I guess I don’t really feel “qualified” to do it. While I have no formal training in writing either, I at least had my mother and Sister Mary Carmen. I still hear my mother’s voice in my head correcting me sometimes.
What a gift your friend gave you. Thanks for sharing it…I can truly appreciate what you’re saying.
That must have been a very freeing experience. Thank you. ❤️
I think one of the things that stops folks from making art is that pesky inner voice telling you it’s not good enough.
I’ve made so many pieces that I thought were not good enough. Someone would says, “Oh I love that”, and I would say “here, it’s yours”. But you want to know the weirdest thing about that? On down the road, when I see a piece of my art displayed that I had forgotten about, I generally enjoy it. “Wow, that’s really nice, where did you get that?” Then I get this look as they say, you made that.
My point? We are WAY to critical of what we do. If you enjoy doing it, keep it up. That inner voice is not an art critic, it’s a “you” critic. In a few cases it is doing the job it was meant to by keeping you moving forward. But in most cases, all it’s doing is holding you back from things that could truly bring you pleasure.
I guess it’s good to know that even people who are really good doubt themselves sometimes. When I look at my old doodles (I’ll post them when I find them) they’re not that good, but the one I started after I got the one Fey did is coming along much better than those! And I’m really enjoying the whole thing!
But I think of some of the cakes I’ve done for the grandkids birthdays and I cringe. Of course they were young and I could pawn them off as abstract whatever I drew on the cake.
Maybe someday! ❤️
I’m starting to enjoy my creativity again! It’s never too late.
Awesome! You do some pretty amazing things! I’m so glad you’re enjoying retired life! ❤️
Thanks for the inspiration! I was a pretty good artist back in the day! About a year ago I picked up some art supplies and started drawing and painting. It lasted a month. I’ll get my creative juices flowing once again! 🙂 Colleen
Hey, that’s great! Send a picture of what you come up with! (or something you already did) I love it! ❤️
Oh Carol, to me art was our dad! Tho over the years I have perfected my three fingered stick figure only to be out done by my great grandsons “cyclone of color”. Honestly after seeing some of the stuff Lou has done I feel very inadaquit in the art Dept. I am hoping Lou becomes fameous real soon , as I have a piece she did in 9th or 10th grade. It’s the hand of God coming from a cloud to flick a guy in the head, Its unfortunely unsigned. But maybe It will be worth more. BLYB
Woefully inadequate no more! I can’t sing like Whitney Houston, but I sing nonetheless. I can’t duplicate the “cyclone of color”, but I can do something else. I’m not Art, I’m only daughter of Art and sister of artistic. But I shall persevere!
Carol,
I remember those post cards you drew. They were beautiful. So as you call those mechanical, it looks like great artistic ability to me. I wish you all the luck in the world drawing. Art and drawing come in all forms today, so go for it. I know I am no artist. My people are stick people and my house would like like a 1st grade drawing. I definitely don’t have that artistic drawing gene. I so admire all of you that have it though. I love professional and amateur art. It is all pretty to me and just amazes me. Share with us all what you do. I can’t wait to see what you accomplish. I am fixing to try a mosaic on two of my outside tables. I you tubed how to do a mosaic and ordered the glass and glue so we will see. Hey, maybe I will be some sort of artist after all. Hahahaha! Enjoy doodling and enjoy drawing. Have a great week.
Oh, that sounds like fun! I’d love to see how it turns out! I think mosaics are so pretty! I love that you just jump in there and do cool stuff!
I will reveal my doodle in an upcoming post…and hopefully some artistic projects of my readers. Get your camera ready for those mosaic tables!
Enjoy the process! ❤️…c