According to my mom, I have had artistic talent all of my life. In fact, a few years back she dug out pictures that I drew from ages 3 all the way to when I was an adult. She may be biased because I'm her daughter, but I think that my drawings were pretty damn good all of my life.
I started art classes when I was 6 years old with a local artist in my town and took those classes until I was in High School. I was in talented art classes from 5th to 8th grade, in which you had to submit a portfolio to be able to be chosen for that specific class in school. During my elementary school days I was also in quite a bit of local art shows, showcasing my talent and being proud of myself and my work.
My Freshman year of High School I was one of the few girls chosen to showcase their work at the Newark, NJ Museum and had the great experience of spending two days there showing others my work. I was so proud of myself for that accomplishment and loved mingling with other artists and receiving compliments from those viewing my pieces.
Graduating High School I knew I wanted to go to art school and applied to one school in particular, Moore College of Art and Design. Moore is an all girls art school in the heart of Philadelphia, right in the museum district. When I got an acceptance letter telling me that I also received a full ride scholarship due to my portfolio and art ability, I was ecstatic. I loved it. I was finally with girls who understood me and used the creative side of their brain, I had friends who thought and saw things creatively just like I did and I finally felt like I fit in somewhere. I had tons of friends and absolutely loved the independence. Art school felt like home to me.
Now that I am out of school, I still pursue art. I have donated various pieces to different local charity auctions and paint, sketch or draw whenever I possibly can. Art, to me, is a passion and an emotional outlet for me to express myself. It's something that calms me and soothes me when I feel anxious, upset or angry. I am also proud to say that my two beautiful girls also inherited my artistic talent, I hope they continue to pursue their talent just as I did. I feel it is very important for them.
This post was inspired by a prompt from Mama Kat's Writing Workshop.
