Laying it on the line with your art

In 2013 I came out of the closet as an artist.

    I accepted that I am an artist (among many other titles, mommy, daughter, wife, friend, sister, engineer, teacher....blah blah....not in any special order, but just to name a few).  That was REALLY HARD for me.  SAYING IT OUT LOUD meant that I am fully accepting that sometimes I will create great work and sometimes I will create crap.  Sometimes I will have to take criticism that I don't like and I will have to get over it.  I have sweated bullets this year by making myself uncomfortable in this coming out process.  Being uncomfortable was simply pushing me into self-acceptance. I AM what I AM.  Plain and simple.

    I decided to write this post because in my "coming out" I realized that to create is to be vulnerable at the core.  I've run into people this year creating stories, illustrations, complicated plays, a thesis, a speech, a master's art, video games, songs and food (to name a few) and I believe all of them, at some point, have evaluated their work AND themselves to determine the validity of their creation.  And it really does not come easy.  Seriously creative people research, practice, fail, try again, persevere, succeed and do it all over again.  It ain't easy, but it can be fun - if we just let it all flow.

    Creating anything is like creating a child.  You don't know if what you're brewing is any good until you release it into the world for others to see.  Even if others don't like it, it still holds value because you made the effort to create it. It may teach you how to improve the process.  It may inspire you to seek the help of others.  And it really just might be super fly!  But if you don't create you will never know.
    So let's make 2014 a year to remember.  Create something so you can say - I WAS HERE.