"Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference."
-Robert Frost
Life is filled with choices. We often come to a crossroads; we have a choice of different paths to take.
Whatever we do here will echo out over the course of our lives.
No pressure.
When I decided to make a commitment to work on my art blog, I really wanted to find a template; I searched and searched for other art blogs that would give me inspiration; that would guide me toward a starting point.
I couldn't find what I was looking for.
Most artist blogs discuss technique or the location of their next show. I was looking for something different.
Maybe it's just that every artist has a completely different process. Maybe it's just that most artists don't want or need to share why they're doing what they're doing.
I know I came to art sideways. I started adulthood with an English degree because the written word was very much my first love.
Art was something I stumbled into. My childhood was full of art teachers who told me I wasn't doing art "right" without being able to articulate to me or explain what the "right" way to do art is.
I was told that some children are just born with artistic talent and some are not.
(Way to motivate creativity in the young.)
Here I am doing what they told me I couldn't do: figuring out how to be an artist in a way and a style that doesn't fit into any traditional patterns. I don't easily fit into a classic category. I'm a poet trying to work my love of words into a space that is meant to be purely visual. Sometimes I feel like an aberration.
What do you do when there are no paths to chose from? What do you do when you face a forest with no clear idea of what to do; where to go; or how to get there?
I just started walking, slowly and steadily. The most important thing is just to start and remember to keep your eyes open for the beauty along the way.
It was never about the destination; it's really all about the journey.