Calling Myself an Artist

I love choosing a word for the year. The word I chose for 2020 was hope. Hope! Before I had any idea what that year would bring.

My word for 2022 is artist. I love art and collecting ideas and being creative. I’ve always loved those things but I set them aside once I became a grownup. It’s not normal to spend your entire weekend pasting magazine clippings into a lined notebook past 4th grade.

I think the thing that draws me to wanting to be an artist is getting to see with artist eyes. Artists notice things that the rest of us rush by. I desperately want to see, like really see my life. I want the beauty and the heartbreak, and I do not want to numb out with scrolling Instagram or falling asleep to The Real Housewives. But guess how I spend much of my time.

And so I find small opportunities to be an artist. I pick out an outfit that makes me feel great. I choose a joyful nail polish color and take the time to paint them. I browse magazines and cookbooks for new ideas. And my new favorite activity, I play around with watercolors.

The paintings are clearly in the beginner level but I feel a burst of pride every time I come across one. Each tiny sketch is a promise to myself, a chance to be brave enough to claim my artist-ness.

Some daily sketches for spring 🌸