I read a post by another blogger tonight...

...whose name I won't share (I didn't get her permission). She wrote about how her art teacher told her, "Tell yourself that you are an artist until you believe it". I remembered what another very famous artist said, "[...] whatever you believe about yourself is what you will become." Truer words were never spoken.

I chuckled to myself when I read the blogger's post because I reminisced back to the 10th grade. I was the new kid in art class. My new art teacher asked me, "Why are you in this class?" To which I answered confidently and as if to say, Duh! , "Because I'm an artist." Now, as I look back, I realize that at the moment, even though he had no proof to the contrary, that he didn't believe me. Huh! But I have grown as an artist though the years and have even taken on Graphic Design, which I love. I will post some evidence in the near future. But I have never let anyone convince me that I am not an artist. I can't remember a time when I wasn't.

However, there was a time when I had an art professor - photography - who tried to tell me otherwise.
He said that there was immaturity in my work. It infuriated me. Now, looking at what kind of art I like to make the most, I know that the immaturity was to my advantage. I wish I had recognized at the time what God had been trying to show me for years -- through other people's comments and suggestions.

My big sister had even told me when I was in college that I should try to make up children's stories. I didn't get the message. Fantasy! Fairy Tales! Wow! Interesting how it all manifested through the years and then I ended up working on a children's project of my own complete with illustrations in watercolor! My work was supposed to be immature for the immature. Wherez the fun in maturitee? Walt Disney said, after all, that, "Adults are children all grown up". Maturity in maturity's place.

Now, I wish that I had thought my professor's comment through. I may have fulfilled part of my calling by now. I told my baby sister about it and she laughed. If only ol' professor'd known what he was saying.