Finding time to make occasional art or making a decision to be an artist

Making art is a decision, one does not "find" time to make it, one has to MAKE the time to make it and this means that you care a lot about how you are living your life and that you care about the things you love or enrich your life, after all, we have to live a life that is fulfilling!

I came to realize that no one will ever come to my life and make room for the things I want on it, I have to create the space and environment for them, to me, it is making art, learning and growing my skills to a position were I can create with ease and being able to share with my students to help them achieve the same and so I made my decision to choose art as my path and to have art in my life forever, it took me a while to make it my top on the list decision and some doubts arised as I had other paths to choose from but then my desire to enjoy more time arting and crafting and sharing with artsy friends had become my life, one that I love and enjoy beyond my belief and this helps me keep going and knowing I've chosen well!  Let's say that my inner artist was the sleeping beauty in my tale, (doubts, fears, the ignorance of knowing my self, laziness, wanting other paths), until one day, my decision, (the prince), came to rescue me and so they are now living the ever happy life!

But it is all because making decisions doesn't come easy, a feeling of being close to letting go the real deal over a failure arises and floats somewere inside you and it may stay there over months even years as a tiny voice on the back of your mind until one day you finally allow your inner voice to be heard and find the strength to finally do something about it. This is what I call making a dicision!  Now, I know it's scarry and takes a lot of courage to embrace your chosen path but there is no other way to get there.  

So when you find your brave self planning to make big decisions, first take the most important things for you an make a gide list and write it down, writing makes it all easy to see from a distance and your notebook helps you to see better and feel better, write the no nos of the situation as well and ask this kind of questions:

Is it something that comes from your heart?

Is it something that will make you feel good about your self?

Doing it means you respect and honor your dreams and spirit?

Are you wiling to do the effort to get there.

Can you picture your self happy doing it now as well as in the future?

Are the pros higher than the cons?

Does this reflects who you are or who you want to be?

Is it honest?

Is it challenging but exciting?

Does this makes you feel more alive?

Are you doing it only for the money that envolves or there are other

gratifications that are important to you?

Are you looking for a life style that suits your personality and this is the one?

Is it scarry but it is an honorable path for you?

Then it probably is your call!  I know there is a lot more in this topic but I am sure that this questions can help, just take the time to consider them and make a good research about your chosen path and see if it appeals to you, I know there will be things we don't like along the way but if you are willing to overcome them because of the benefits are greater, then you are close to living your true life and I believe there is no grater path for the soul!

People have told me that I shouldn't dare to say such things like "get your self to make more art and be happy!", that they have to be serious and work for a living!  Believe me, I totally understand!  I too, have a life and so I have to make a living too, it's not that I'm rich or super famous, or that I have a wealthy family to stop working and dedicate my life to "just paint" but I have made and still am making a huge effort to make art my way of earning my everyday bread because I made the decision of it and I    continuously push my self to keep going!

As some of you know I had a few online courses and now I am teaching live at my studio, I keep learning and studying, I strongly believe that being a good student helps on being a good teacher and now, teaching live is even more helpful for I learn a lot about how each one understands and how I can help them better to reach their goal and this will improve my teaching skills even more, being a teacher is not something I planned, it has become to be a natural part of my life due to the fact that I love others finding joy making art as I do, I love artsy friends and it's a great way to keep making art and make a living with art. I know some of you are anxiously waiting to join my new courses and I promise they will be great, I am working hard to do so.

Just to be clear, being an artist is not being a child playing with art tools, (some parts of it), but it takes a lot of work, some that you may even ever actually see, practicing, learning, being frustrated, thinking about new ideas, buying art supplies that are sold only in other countries like from the us and having to pay a lot more for the shipping costs which are very expensive already and making it all very easy and clear for you when I share in the classes, I hope you understand that we artists are also working for a living as anyone else, it only appears that we aren't because we enjoy it a lot!  I also have some freebies here on my blog for you, I love to share and I hope you enjoy them! Hopefully over time this blog is a great source of inspiration for many but it takes time, money and passion to keep on building it! Hey guys, it's only one person behind all this!  I am the student, the teacher, the planner, the film taper, the editor, the seller, the host and the list goes on and on and I love doing it but  I had to let it all out and share this so you could have a better perspective of who I am and what I do and hopefully you can understand better.

Thank you for reading, for understanding and for being a friend, thank you for your support and comments, for sharing my work and spreading the voice, thank you for have taken my courses, thank you for sharing this art journey and hopefully we continue sharing even more and grater things!  I love you!

Now I leave you with some inspirational photos!

WIP, oil on canvas about a study of a painting of William Turner, his work wasn't following the current style of the artists at his time, (1775-1851) (and of course because of this he became a great artist and his work is highly appreciated now!) a Brittish romantic landscape painter known as the painter of light, his work is regarded as a romantic preface to impressionism and considered as abstract, also a watercolorist and printmaker, I have been introduced to his work by my teacher and this year there is a movie about him to be released in October "Mr. Turner"  Watch the director's interview here... http://youtu.be/OnMgmzH1koQ  this painting is based on his work "Yatch approaching the coast"  I am told tha he used to attach him self to the yachts to experience what is to be traveling and surfacing the waves and he used to paint being there!  OMG! That is passion! I've learned a lot from it!

Now go make the time and space in your life for creating what's important for you and make the best of it!  After all, we all live once!