Art

Drawing is one of my oldest hobbies. As soon as I was old enough to hold a pencil, I started making drawings for myself and for my family. As I got older, I found new ways to express my creativity and, before long, our house was full of crafts that I had created. I excelled in my art classes in school and continued to draw at home, mostly for the purposes of illustrating my stories. However, as I began to focus more on my writing, I started drawing less and less.

After years of neglecting the hobby, my sister and I decided to take art classes. It was there that my passion for drawing returned. Up until that point, I had only ever drawn the same things, and drawn them the only way I knew how. My drawings as a high-schooler still looked the same as they had when I was a kid, and I had never really made an effort to improve.

Once I began the lessons, though, that all changed. I learned new techniques, and realized that, by applying myself, I could go far beyond what I was previously drawing. I had always had a keen eye for detail, and I soon learned how important that was for art. Even if I made mistakes, I was able to catch them, correct them, and learn from them. In this way, my skills improved exponentially. So much so, that my instructor hired me to teach her younger students.

As an art teacher, I had to create my own lesson plans while also finding new ways to challenge my students. I saw this as a great opportunity for growth, to not only expand my own horizons, but to also gain valuable experience. At that time, I was also teaching guitar, which gave me a unique perspective on how to teach different things to different people.

After a few months, I had to quit my teaching job so that I could focus on my career in writing. Though I stopped drawing for a while, I found that I was most motivated when I was creating something for someone else. Nowadays, I find time for drawing again, mostly drawing portraits for my friends. In this way, I’m able to continue doing something I enjoy, while also feeling a sense of accomplishment from providing a service and meeting a deadline. Most importantly, I’m continuing to improve with each drawing, which always provides me with the inspiration I need to start my next project.