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| Detail of "Fool" - Watercolor, Ink - by Johnny Perez, 2007 |
We hear it all our lives as young artists...
Don't be an artist! You'll starve! You'll be poor! You'll never make it, it's too competitive!I mean its not entirely wrong, but starting out is hard for most people, and giving up too early is a common thing. I was lucky to have an encouraging family, and the fact that I grew up poor most of my life somehow made it ok or rather doable to live with no money. So if I wanted to pursue a career with no money but I was happy, then I was confident I could still live, even if it was on nothing. It really comes down to a matter of perspective for me.
I want to be real for a moment to say that I'm not some crazy successful artist, but neither do I consider myself less of an artist because I'm not "known." I don't pretend to be more than I am, but I do choose to look at the bright side. I do choose to think of myself as capable. And I choose to define success as a never ending goal to better myself. In that regard it is hard to lose. I am faced with the same challenges as most in the world, there is always someone out there better than you, and there is always someone out there more successful than you. So what? Am I just supposed to quit?
