how I became an artist.
an introduction to crafting led to a life of creativity ❀⋆.ೃ
my introduction to arts and crafts.
My grandma is the reason I love art.
Whenever I was off from school as a kid, my grandma took the liberty of enrolling me in her own personal art camp. We painted landscapes, made beaded jewelry, crocheted… the list goes on. I really loved learning to create things with her. She was the creative of the family, and she shared her love for creativity with me.
growing up.
As I grew up, I never stopped my creative endeavours.
At 8 I was drawing my favourite cartoons.
At 9, I was writing and illustrating a book with my best friend.
At 13, I opted to go to a creative writing summer camp, instead of the sports camp all my friends signed up for.
In high school I took a visual arts class and learned I didn’t like being graded on my art (or being told what to create).
Even in university, when my art had taken a back seat to my studies (in biology), I spent my insomnia-filled nights painting on my bed until I exhausted myself to sleep.
2020: a pandemic realization.
It wasn’t until 2020, years after I graduated university, that I considered pursuing art as a career. I was in my early 20s and experiencing existential dread about what to do with my life (on top of the dread of living through a pandemic). I spent most afternoons sitting in the backyard of my uncle’s house, talking to him about life.
It was my uncle who asked me why I hadn’t considered making a career from my art, something I had consistently loved all my life. The comment caught me off guard, especially since most of my life I received several “gentle” nudges by other family members to study and work in a field that was “more practical” than the arts (hence how I ended up with a science degree). But hearing such open support and encouragement from my uncle really inspired me to take my art more seriously.
A few days later, SMK Studio was born.
today.
Fast forward to today, I am creating and selling prints and stickers of my artwork, as well as my own colouring pages. I have an Instagram page dedicated to my art (@smkstudiio), a newsletter (this one, right here), I won a grant(!!), painted live, and have been in markets/showcases in Toronto and Montreal. On top of these big moments, I am also constantly working behind the scenes to learn skills required to be an entrepreneur.
And I couldn’t be happier.
the blog.
Despite creating art throughout my life, I still find it hard to find the time and energy to create regularly as an adult. But one thing is for certain: making the decision to fully embrace and nurture my creativity as an adult is one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.
I want you to experience the benefits of nurturing your creativity too, in whatever capacity works best for you.
Whether you feel too tired to create consistently, don’t feel like you are “artistic enough” to be creative, or prefer to look at art rather than make it, this blog will help you nurture your creativity and live a more creative life. ⋆⭒˚.⋆
Talk (and be creative together) soon!
Syd ❀
