When I arrived in the States four years ago, I had the chance for a fresh start. My academic career didn't work out in Germany and I wasn't planning on reviving it. My education made it hard to chose a job in a completely different industry - after all, I had zero experience anywhere else. And I really wanted a baby. So decided to start my new life pursuing hobbies and doing things I never had (or never let myself have) time to do before. (And meanwhile, had that baby). I started volunteering and painting. I'd like to talk about the latter in more detail today. I was never gifted or particularly creative but I was always drawn to the arts. I tried it all as a child and teen - ballet, ballroom dance, piano, painting, writing. But all with minor success. That's how you end up studying liberal arts, I guess. I studied languages and literature with art history as my minor. It became a real passion. Every time I traveled to any citiy I would try to visit all the important art museums in that particular area - from Florence to St. Petersburg, FL.
When in America, maybe with a feeling of a newfound freedom, I decided to actually try to paint, again, but this time more seriously. And so I did. I enrolled in a community college, I bought some supplies that I thought looked good and just walked into the class. Not knowing anything about technique or application. But not afraid either. It turned out to be one the best experiences of my life. The art class was filled with amazing people, many of them retired, and we'd have lots of art talk, cultural, political and social debates, even little fights. The teacher was there for me immediately, completely open, encouraging, never judging. This environment gave me the confidence that I couldn't fail. And I didn't. I'm far from having success but I learned a lot in a short amount of time, I tried different media, I showed at little community art shows and fairs. Due to Covid and me missing my art class, I rented a studio (where my former teacher paints himself, how lucky) and I am hopeful that I will continue to grow and evolve. All of this to say - don't be afraid to try new things! It sounds cliché but for me, it really turned out to be the truth.
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