In today's commercial world it's hard to put myself out there in public venue. Every big box you go to has copies of Renoir and Monet. Every discount outlet has original paintings by art students forced to create copies of the aforementioned masters' art works. Even as a child it was hard to finish a simple sketch because I truly believed that my art would be judged against that of the world, rather than my own learning curve.
Throughout my life I struggled to conquer these fears while learning the steps I must talke before inspiration became final product in my mind. One of the first freeing moments I recall was when I heard about the great artists spending evenings drinking in the pubs sketching on napkins. I learned tht every error in the sketch became shading in the final product. These errors were coined "forgiveness lines."
After forgiving my own mistakes enough to attempt a work of art, I faced the dilemma of outside opinions. A classic response received to my rose like, "What is that a flower?" or "I just don't see what you are trying to do?" became a hurdle that blocked my inspiration for months. I eventually found painting for myself not anyone else to be the answer to these and many other challenges.
Shortly after finding satisfaction in my own art I faced other's expectations that I should be attempting to market and make profit from my creations. This challenge has been one of the hardest to face.
