The need to create art is an enigma.

There’s barely a day I remember that I didn’t feel the desire – the need, even – to create. As an adult, this need has largely been suppressed – the rest of life leaves little time for it, and our society leads us to believe that the arts are of little value anyway. Yet, even in this environment, the desire doesn’t go away – it’s just contained, fighting at its constraints. It doesn’t go away even in the face of extreme pressure to do so.

This paradox is a source of anxiety and, ironically, creative paralysis. It leads me to question why I want to make art, what the point is, and why I can’t just dismiss it and leave art out of my life. 

I’ve come to believe that becoming an artist, or perhaps just being an artist (I’m not sure there’s a difference), involves working to answer these questions through exploration – reading, looking at others’ art, learning about myself, thinking about how these things relate to each other – in addition to actually making art. for art’s sake is where I do that exploration.

The blog is essentially a personal journey of discovery, a scrapbook where I file my thoughts, feelings and contemplations on the reasons for and process of artmaking. It’s also my sketchbook for work in progress and experimentation. I hope that letting others into this journey will firstly provide opportunities for interactions that contribute to this journey, and will also provide inspiration and encouragement to others on similar journeys.