Born to be an artist - a feeling that has driven a whole new life course
It must be a crime to be this creative (or at least that what I say to myself as my biggest fan).
The time has come!
“...more than anything, it’s been a pleasure living the life of my choosing.”
So, in 2018 I decided it was time to live a life that breathed artistic creativity through every orifice of my being. Was it a scary thought? Of course! Has it been a difficult process? Unbelievably. But more than anything, it’s been a pleasure living the life of my choosing.
I always dreamt of being a famous artist. Like all the Italian greats, contemporary artists and those you learn of in art class. Years ago, becoming a recognised artist seemed to be a far-fetched idea, but the wonderful opportunities born of the internet and social media has transformed the creative industry in a way that I could never imagine.
Now it’s my time to bring my own shine in the way I desire.
Now it’s my time to bring my own shine in the way I desire.
Access to the world - We're going digital baby!
As an artist developing my own style, centred on African Caribbean art and culture, I can now reach interested people that are interested or would appreciate my work. This can be done on so many platforms that I can actually say dreams can come true. Unlike when I was a child, I had to be commissioned by someone and struggle to sell paintings, pictures and photography in order to be a recognised name and then have some sort of arts dealer publicise me and aim to get me in front of the right people in the right circles.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying that this is an easy road or I’m expecting overnight success, but I can create the art I want and share it with the world without having to gain approval from anyone else. This I believe will help me (and other artists) produce authentic work as well as be privileged enough to do commissioned pieces. Anyone who wants to enjoy my pieces are free to buy, share or talk about it with whoever they want. There’s no need to have access to a gallery which as a youngster, I felt this was a major barrier and I was unsure how that would be navigated. I’m happy we have a much more accessible world to information and art in all its forms.
Uncharted waters
“A lone marauding pirate sailing the Seven Seas.”
This new life journey has felt much like navigating uncharted waters with no supporting shipmates - A lone marauding pirate sailing the Seven Seas. Fortunately, as I’ve sailed this voyage, I’ve managed to press gang some crew and got some much needed support. Time is extremely precious to me, but I wasn’t going to make a rash decision. However focusing my efforts into becoming an artist and writer wasn’t something I was willing to mull over too long. I had seven days to contemplate the challenge I was about to embark on. The catalyst, a stag do in the beautiful country of Dominican Republic.
I spent years doing multiple jobs and learning skills in various industries. I managed to dip in and out of creative activities with the opportunities provided by work. There were times where I could have complete free reign over what I was involved with, but often these activities were few and far between. I am grateful to everyone and everything I have done along the way.
Some of the wonderful things I was able to create or be a part of were:
Creation of promotional videos
Production of training manuals
Poster design
Audio overlay for training videos
Logo design
Game design and development
Television advert
Leaflet design
I have to admit, these were all creative opportunities that I effectively forced my way into, as I felt like I needed to let the creative juices flow and see what sparked my interest and where I could excel.
Get Inspired
The funny thing is, after finishing Uni with a Product Design and Computing degree, I struggled to get a job in the field I had studied for - I was pissed off and disappointed. I made some bad decisions, but also life through some crazy curve balls. But up until that point, nothing in my life had been easy or was handed to me, so I couldn’t expect that this time would be any different. I started doing product design for a few clients. It was lucrative, but without the right guidance, it was unsustainable, I was too inexperienced.
Nevertheless, I knew I had skills from writing in the past, designing since secondary school, through to graduate level and possessing a wild imagination. This was surely a recipe for a creative avenue of some sorts. Life dictated I dropped the product design, but I was able to wrangle business designing logos and posters for individuals and small businesses. So I maintained and increased my skills in this respect. The real world I was unprepared for was unforgiving. Mistakes cost me time and money, but I was undeterred by my failures, yet I had to reassess and take another route to the destination that seemed to be a fantasy isle.
And then the jobs of a thousand sorrows began.
Only fools and horses
Work is something we all must do, but doing what we enjoy, what we are passionate about and getting paid for it, that is something entirely different. For most of us we are on a pathway where we have been told by the powers that be we must 'get a job and buy a house.'
But what about the in-between?
What about the journey to wherever?
Are we allowed to enjoy the way we walk through life or do we have to forgo this in order to achieve success?
“The problem was I needed more passion.”
These are questions that must be asked and probably all of us do at some point, either consciously or subconsciously. For me, these questions hit me early in life, I aimed to answer them myself and live by my conclusions. Most of the time my decisions were lead by enjoyment, learning and partially passion. The problem was I needed more passion. That is what I felt was a requirement for me to achieve my successes.
Working in all the various jobs I had brought me pleasure and money. I got what I was looking for. But once my perspective and desires changes to be more passion focused, they no longer served their purpose and I felt like only fools and horses work.
Live creatively. Be an artist in my own right. Bring on the challenge.
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