A Small Compliment Can Make A Big Impact

Hey weirdos, it's been a while. I'm back again for another blog. One day I'll have enough energy to post more consistently. What gives us energy to keep going, though? To keep pursuing our passions, even while working another full time job and living in a constant state of stress/overwhelm? For me, it's the little things. 

One of the first significant compliments I remember receiving (outside of my family/friends) as a painter was when I painted a large piece, consisting of four 18x20 canvases, for my sister when she went off to college. We went to an art store in the galleria one day, and chatted with an employee there. My sister said that she recently bought a painting, and asked if they thought she overpaid for it, and what they would value it at. She showed them a photo, and they said “I’d put that around $600”. For my 13 year old self, that was absolutely mind boggling. I couldn’t believe that someone would have valued my artwork with any monetary amount.

While I never seriously considered selling my artwork until around 2020, that one comment fueled me to keep painting and exploring new things. At such an impressionable age, I can't imagine how hard I would have taken it if that store employee would have said something negative like "I can't believe you paid money for that"...which, honestly, is the first thing that pops into my head when I look back at what I made (yes, I'm projecting, I know).

But when I really look at it and remember what I felt when painting this, I'm proud. I'm proud of myself for excitedly taking on a large project like this, and being as creative as I could at 13 with basically zero art classes and no access to YouTube tutorials. I remember using random items, like my locker shelf, to make certain shapes happen. 

I loved that my sister not only asked me to make something for her room, and bought me all of the supplies, but actually hung it up and seemed genuinely happy with what I made. It was really encouraging, and helped me get to here I am today. 

If you have a young artist in your life, please encourage them. No matter what you think of their work/technique, tell them they're doing great...because they are. They're trying. If you like their art, tell them how amazing it is and why. If it's not your style, tell them you love their creativity, or the colors/technique they used. Encourage them to keep creating. The world needs more beauty. You could be part of the reason someone continues to find joy in creating. 

I'd love to hear from anyone who has a young artist in their life, or anyone who's been considering pursuing art more! Tell me what you've been working on, or what you're interested in. Tell me about the artist in your life. 

Photo from about 2005 of the painting I made for my sister:

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