Inspiring Others Through Art

I receive many lovely messages and emails telling me how much my artwork has inspired them and their desire to reach the standards they see in my work. What I always remind my students is that I had no formal art training and when I started out my attempts were very poor. At that time I did not have any real ambitions to become an artist but just loved wielding a paintbrush and, as time went on, I saw a gradual improvement.This inspired me to keep going and eventually I started to feel I was getting somewhere. Moreover I was brave enough to show others what I was doing and they encouraged me to continue. The main reason I was able to continue was my passion for the art itself and the way I was able to 'get lost' in what I was doing - time literally ceased to exist.

It really doesn't matter if what you are doing is pleasing to others as long as it pleases you. It's what you get out of it that counts.

Although I am grateful and often overwhelmed by all the kind comments I receive for my work, the main reason I do what I do is for myself. Pleasing others is a byproduct of my passion for the work I do. It really doesn't matter if what you are doing is pleasing to others as long as it pleases you. It's what you get out of it that counts.I would say to anyone starting out on this wonderful adventure to not expect too much at first. Take small steps and learn by your mistakes. Take on board all the advice given and don't be afraid to experiment.Look over every finished picture you complete to see where improvements can be made with positive attitude - don't rubbish what you have done as this would be a negative action. I still have several of my first few pictures and even now I view them with affection as at the time I did them I was proud of what I had achieved.The way forward is to be positive and love with a passion what you are doing. Don't take any negative comments on your work personally and take small steps. If you one day do reach greater heights then that would be a bonus, but that shouldn't really be the main focus enjoying yourself should be.