When I started participating in art, I felt welcomed by other artists, almost as if I had been accepted into a cult. I’ve participated in art subjects such as music, dance, painting, and even ceramics. Applying my life to more art subjects helped me better understand artists as a culture and not just as a stereotypical group.
My mom had learned how to play the piano at a young age, but didn’t pursue it in her teenage years. She had always regretted not continuing lessons when she was young, so she forced me to learn at age 5 and wouldn’t let me quit until I was 18. Even though I fought and complained about having to practice and embarrass myself into performances, my mom was helping and influencing me into the artist culture. By the time I got into Jr. High, I decided to join the band as a flutist. Just like learning the piano, it took me a while to really appreciate the music and the instrument I was playing. Band helped me gain a broader understanding of music as a whole. It taught me to love not only the popular music of the time, but also the famous classics of our ancestors. Music has helped me view the world in a different and better place by helping me realize what is beautiful and what really matters in my life.
Once I got the feel of music and how it can make a person think, I decided to study deeper into the subject. I picked up some new instruments and taught myself how to play the guitar and clarinet. I became so fascinated by the science and math behind music; I took a class based on writing music and how to make it into something beautiful. Once I started writing notes on paper, I learned that I also needed words to go along with it. It came to the point where I was writing words more than I was writing music, and my love for poetry and writing grew more and more.
Throughout our lives we are told what is right and what is wrong. We’re given rules and boundaries that if we cross, we could suffer some harsh consequences. With music and writing, there are no boundaries. There are guidelines but once you get the basics down, you simply play or write from your heart. Sometimes the unplanned can be the most beautiful piece.
Since I had my head in the music and wouldn’t let go of my pen, my older sister decided to teach me how to move to the beat. My family have always told me how they wish I was a ballet dancer because the arches on my feet where thin and tall enough that I’m sure would make me great. In the past, my mom had put me in all kinds of dance classes. Classes with rules and hand slapping consequences. I’ve always been the tomboy of the family and the most free spirited, so anything that was holding me back or anything to do with pink and a tutu made me scream and cringe. I loved to dance but hated the attire and the smallest things holding me back, so my mom decided to listen to my song of sorrows and took me out of those ridiculous classes and slowly, without the steps or the counts, I learned how to move and to express myself through body language. Dancing becomes almost hypnosis for me; if I put myself in the right mind set I could find myself in a new place, almost like an out of body experience.
By the time I got into high school, I loved art and wanted to participate in it as much as possible. When I joined the band in the seventh grade, I decided to continue it in high school. But to me, dance and music were the very common arts that most people know how to do. So I decided I wanted to try something different by putting the ceramics class on my schedule. At first, I didn’t really know what to expect; I figured I’d be sitting on one of those wheel things and making a pot, just like they do in the movies. I learned that ceramics was more than pots and wheels, but could actually be formed to make beautiful figures and shapes that would make a person think and wonder. Ceramic artists would let their audience into their minds by displaying abstract shapes and interesting ways to create something new and to make a person think deeply about themselves.
Since my mom introduced me to art, I slowly gained a better understanding and a better appreciation for the culture of artists. I’m always curious about new forms of art and how others view art as a culture. Do some view it as a bad influence or even as just a hobby? I’m curious as to what people, outside of the world of art, think and view about artists and what they represent as a whole.
I’ve always been a shy person, especially when it came to standing out in the limelight. Whenever I was at a dance or even just goofing around with my family, I could never let my true self, shine. Now, still shy but strong, I can express myself like no other way I could before. With the help of teachers and role models, I’ve learned to love myself and to love my way of thinking, which in itself is the prettiest song, the majestic dance, the beautiful painting, and even the abstract sculpture of my life. I am an artist, a musician, and a dancer. I believe my life is the adventure and I can’t wait to learn more about myself and the artist within me.