Artistic Soul

I believe an artist exists in all of us, a little guy/girl with a paintbrush in hand, complete with french accent. The problem is that throughout our lives we come across people who look at our

artistic works(writing, sculpting, drawings, painting, singing, and every other form of art under the sun) and criticize us and SPLAT, our ego's or lack there of get the better of us and we quit.

The way I see it is very simple, you really shouldn't care what others think of your artistic ability, as long as it makes you feel good. Art, like counseling or journals, can be a form of therapy for many of us. I've heard before that kids can be happy with their art, whether it be a finger painting or doodling, as long as they haven't hit that stage where other people's opinions start interfering.

If you like to draw, draw, if you like to paint, paint, if you like making little people out of straws, make those little people. Unless you're trying to sell your art to a prestigious gallery(which of course your not trying to do, right ?), it doesn't matter what other's think about it, It's YOURS. And, heck, even if you are trying to sell it, different people like different art, they might love your work. My uncle David was fabulous at drawing and painting, but the first piece he ever sold was to a guy who saw him carrying a "off the top of his head" painting of a brick wall, nothing special just a brick wall. The guy loved it, and bought it from him right there on the sidewalk in front of my uncle's apartment.

Art should be about you, it should be about what you feel, the things that make you laugh, cry, love, hate, and believe in.

That's it, that's the only requirement I believe should exist for being an artist, the ability to just be you.