Finding Success Through Art

Art is not just the practice of placing paint on canvas or making lines. It’s about opening doors to new experiences and discoveries. I believe the process of creating art has helped me find my personal skill for success. Each pencil line and brush stroke of a piece tells a story. My story starts with finding dedication through drawing.

My first art class of my college career was an introduction to drawing. I was excited to start drawing since art has always been my favorite subject. One of my first homework assignments was to draw a still life of three plain white eggs on white cloth. It seemed simple enough, until the professor said that we had to spend a minimum of nine hours on it. I thought to myself, “I love drawing, but will I be able to find the time to spend nine hours on three white eggs and a white cloth between class and work?” The next day I used my only free time to begin my task. As I drew, each stroke and line started to form shapes. When I placed my pencil down, I had spent three hours on one egg. I did not know I had the determination and patience to spend so much time on such a tiny part. As I continued to work on my piece, I constantly thought about the lines and how I could enhance the eggs or make sections of the cloth pop out. Every hour or two I had free I spent drawing. Some days I could not wait to sit down and continue making those marks. After thousands of pencil lines, finally the drawing was complete.

After finishing the piece and being amazed at the outcome; I was extremely proud of myself. Through working on this drawing, I learned that focus and persistence helped me to succeed in finishing. I realized that dedication to my drawing created the quality of art I wanted to achieve. In the twelve hours I spent on three eggs and a cloth, I learned that I am a person who does not give up. I find time and push forward to achieve my goals. Through my drawing process, I discovered that my strong dedication and focus helped me become successful. I realized that I can apply these skills to other areas of my life and have used it to become successful in my other classes and work.

When drawing or painting, it seems like no one else is in the room, it’s just me, the lines, and the colors. Some days the colors seem a muddy mess of browns and blacks and the lines a jumble of marks. While on other days strokes of magnificent sun set oranges and yellows combine with breathtaking ocean blues to brighten up my world and help me to focus. Even on the days when those marks are a mess and I can not see the final outcome, I know that lines can be erased. If I just continue on and dedicate myself, I will succeed. The struggle to solve problems I face on paper helps me learn new ways to achieve my goals. I believe the process of creating art helped me to discover my strong dedication and focusing skills. Skills I know can help me find success in my future goals.