Method to My Madness (a.k.a. Art)

Hello all!

So, I figure that some of you may be wondering what the story is behind what inspired me to pick up a pen and start creating art. I wish it was as simple as "I've been drawing my life..." (which is partially correct), or "I've had a hard-knock life...the struggle is real...". Something that reaches out and grabs your attention from right out of the screen.

Truth is, art kind of saved my life.

Don't get me wrong. I have a great husband that is always lovingly in my corner, a wonderful family that is very supportive of everything that I do, and friends that encourage me to pursue the things that make me happy. Before getting married, I have never lived out on my own but always supported myself financially. Life was great, but I wanted more. Like my life yearned a piece of itself that was missing, but couldn't quite find it. I thought that marriage would be my missing puzzle piece, making my life complete, and imagined that it would be everything that I hoped for and more, and that we would live happily ever after and all would be right in the world.

I missed the mark a little.

Again, don't get me wrong. My husband is absolutely great and understanding, always encouraging me and giving me the positivity and love that every person craves. He's my biggest fan. So no, that wasn't the problem at all.

After our honeymoon, I was on the quest to find a full-time job and my husband was off at work trying to make a living for us. I found that I spent a lot of time by myself, more than I had imagined. Not only that, but I missed my parents and the close friends I had where I used to live so much. In short, my new lifestyle was much different than what I was used to. And being an accountant in profession and by nature, change is a very hard thing for me. I had trouble sleeping at night and found company in food and tears. I had felt so betrayed by myself, foolish that I had believed that this new chapter in my life would be my saving grace and that marriage would solve all of my problems. It didn't.

The more I was sat idle, the more I thought. And the more I thought, the more depressed I became. I needed something to occupy my mind, or else I was headed for disaster.

After browsing Pinterest, I stumbled upon a "DIY drawing a feather" tutorial, which intrigued me, and decided to give it a shot. As a kid, I was a cartoonist and realism sketcher, but I got bored easily and ended up forgetting about it during high school. So I decided to try out the tutorial and, sure enough, it was something that I loved and ended up being good at. Later on, I tried mimicking a mehndi design and fell in love with the technique and style. I kept practicing, and then lost the pencil and started freestyling in pen and, later, in paint. And here I am!

Now, do I believe that art is my future? Not completely. But I do hope to achieve big things with this talent of mine, and use it to bring glory to God. And even if I don't reach new heights, that's okay. I am just so grateful that I have this hobby. It opened up another side of me that I didn't know existed. A side that brings me so much accomplishment, contentment and satisfaction, and a feeling so special, that it cannot be described in words; just in art.

Art helped a timid, confused, lost girl become bold, gain confidence, and find a little bit of purpose in this crazy world. And I will always be grateful to God for bringing out and cultivating this forgotten hobby that He gave me long ago.

And that, my friends, is how art saved my life (kind of).