An Artist's Graduation
“There's no retirement for an artist, it's your way of living so there's no end to it.” Henry Moore
Milestones are important to us. We want to capture and hold on to all of the "firsts." First word, first step, first friend, first love, first kiss, and so on.
Any big events in our lives we slap on the utmost important label "First," except for a few...
Is it only me that finds it curious that we don't seem to label any graduations as the "first?"
Maybe it is because the number of graduations throughout a child's time in school has grown over the years? Or maybe it is because we already know, that no matter what, the same sense of pride will swell in our breasts regardless of whether we are a kindergartener or a doctoral candidate?
There is something to be said about achieving a milestone you've actually worked toward, and it brings with it that euphoric sense of accomplishment. You know the effort you put in, where you fell short, where you barely scraped by, and where you triumphed.
As artists, there often isn't a set "graduation." Sure, you can go to school and learn the academics of art, but when it comes to the development of your skills, it is all the same knowledge of the journey striped of the pomp and frills.
No specific timepoint is deemed your graduation. And this can be seriously demotivating.
We have our first painting, our first commissioned piece, and so on, but oftentimes, these are relatively close together. We know we are improving and investing the time to get better for our clients and our passion, but unlike other careers, there is rarely a promotion, a graduation to a higher title within the career.
So, I made a graduation. 🤷♀️ Well, to be honest, I made graduations. There are set timepoints in Beyond the Brushes where you get to feel that pride swell in your breast, to be recognized for your hard work, and to earn a new title to match your skills as you work towards becoming a Photoshop Artisan.
It's not arrogant to pat yourself on the back from time to time. We all need those motivational moments of recognition to keep us going. If you've put in the work, you've earned your very own graduation!
Hand-painted in Adobe Photoshop CC using the Wacom Intuos Pro and the Wacom Art Pen.
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