What does Art mean?

My whole life has been one mixed-up mess of mistakes, some happy mistakes some, not-so-happy mistakes, but all of them have to lead me to where I am today, which is sitting here typing and drawing. My mom said I started drawing when I was about four or five years old so, I don't remember that far back. However, when there were hard times, I had Art to get me through some pretty stiff stuff.

Getting sober Thirteen years ago, I needed something to change the subject in my head at times. I could sit down and draw for hours. It became more than just a hobby then it was more of a conquest to be better. People noticed my work. I gained a considerable following even drew some famous people. I found myself thrilled with the prospect of picking up a pencil and paper (and having to cut off the tabs with scissors; because I have created masterpieces and ripped them, destroying them in the end).

I have learned some powerful lessons about life. However, you can focus on a topic so much that you can destroy it. But conversely, you can overlook the most superficial detail that will change the entire picture. By stepping away for a few hours and giving your mind a few minutes to not think about it, you can return to the topic with a refreshed mind and what I will call a "New Eye."

Following your inspiration is born when you achieve tiny successes like seeing something that makes your Art truly better. Finding that something in your work that you overlooked before makes you feel more confident about your work and yourself. The joy of discovering small, simple things in your own life, however, the real treasure, the gift you give yourself that truly builds confidence. That's where you truly become inspired, and to be inspired is to be vibrant alive following what your intuition says "This is the way to perfection for me."

That's where you become genuinely alive. Time flies, the world around you doesn't exist anymore, and all your troubles melt away as you think about what is the next right thing to do to make this better. I say, "Follow your inspiration." So how do you follow your inspiration? When I am truly inspired, my attention is solely on my project and getting it done. I am tuned into the moment, fully aware of every move I make, mentally asking questions, and gradually navigating my way one step at a time through every picture.

I noticed that when I was in the moment and genuinely focused, it was easy for me to get sober and stay sober as well. When I was following my inspiration, I was honestly happier than I had ever been and fed my soul, which helped me to reach a spiritual balance which became a tool that allowed me to stay sober for Thirteen years. I say we get out of balance, lose our way, drink, become sick, and most people can't understand it. To get back into balance, we have to find that stuff that makes us truly happy, and I mean thrilled, that makes us thrive and thirsty for the next day, yet willing to endure a few moment's of pain to get to that next day where we find relief until we spot our newest target or goal.

We are constantly raising the bar on who we are anyway, every moment of the day, we are expanding, growing, and learning to experiment, failing to try our best on this next new thing to see if it fits, and some of us beat ourselves up when that next best thing doesn't work. Art gave me a road map that showed me a literal trail of where my mistakes were which said. "You were not that bad. That mistake was not that bad. No one would have seen that if you hadn't brought attention to it." Life is like that for us, we bring attention to a lot of the bad stuff, and we revel in it, because we can't see where we were in relation to where we are right now. Whereas, in Art, you can see clearly what your last move was sometimes painfully.

So, don't beat yourself up, give yourself some time, be ok with things taking time, be ok with learning to do things one step at a time; there's no rush. Be ok with making a mistake. Life is full of errors; that's what makes it your life, and no one is prepared to live your life better than you. Just like an artist, no one can paint your picture but you. That's my art lesson, it has taken me a long time and a lot of pain to arrive at, and I strongly suggest you lighten up, be easy on yourself, after all, you are the only one you've got.