A long time ago when I was still at school it had been assumed by most of my teachers that I would naturally take an artistic route in life; an Art A-level seemed pre-ordained and I would die a hippy or a guerilla artist.
In actual fact I did not persue art beyond sixteen years old, which shocked my art teachers no end, and instead I studied Physics (changed to governement and politics within a term), English Literature and Geography. Art was something you either could do or you couldn't and I was made to feel there was no sense studying it any further and to keep creative things for hobbies.
Life took hold and art just fizzled out of my life; it has been over twenty years since I've drawn anything, and guess what - I can't draw any more! An 'A' grade student who no longer can draw. So the old adage if you don't use it you lose it seems to be true! And one of my greatest regrets is that I listened to the advice of others and did not persue the one thing I was ever any good at!!
But perhaps all is not lost and I've begun to dabble again. I have my watercolours and inks and a fresh journal to fill up, and maybe by concerted effort I will learn to draw again. If nothing else putting pen to paper and externalising internal turmoil is very therapeutic - which is helpful when you are as loopy as I am.
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