IF YOU'VE GOT TALENT SHOW IT TO THE WORLD
ARTIST
BUDDING ARTIST MS Emtenan Alshalwan.
"Art isn't in the tools, material, equipment you use.
It's in the way you see the world."
Art has always been a part of my life. For me, it was an outlet to self-exploration and self-expression. Much like language, it was, and still is a way to appreciate the things and the people I love. Anything I find beautiful, or hideous, for that matter, to be able to put it down on paper, just for the heck of it, and study it further, is one of my greatest joys in life. To just be able to let loose and, for hours on end, I pour all myself into a piece of work, is something I truly cherish . I was brought up into a family where each had a niche of their own, which inspired me greatly to find mine, naturally. Drawing particularly, is something I shared with dad and one of my sisters, my absolute favorite form of art. I drew my siblings, cartoon characters, mostly women, and so much more. I drew so much as a kid I’d even draw on the walls sometimes; I still apologize to my mom for having to deal with my mess. At school, I was that kid which was known for having a knack for it, I didn’t necessarily enjoy the “talented kid” reputation, but certainly loved doing projects, participating in competitions, drawing friends pics, and so on . Till I graduated high school, I never thought much about pursuing portraiture as a career, let alone studying it. But soon after graduating, almost unconsciously, I started delving into the fundamentals of art and studied it as a subject, not as a hobby anymore . To my surprise, the realization of being no more than an amateur, hit me, hard. I had basically no basic knowledge of what art is, what it isn’t, how to view art, let alone how to properly make art. Not that there is a right or wrong way to go about it, but I definitely was lacking in that department prior to that point . I had an artistic sense, yes, but no artistic skills, whatsoever. I appreciated it, but had no idea about the school of art, the industry, nor the history. Funny when I think about how people outside that perspective, would think of me as if I’ve reached a level of mastery, when I, don’t even dare to think I'm anywhere near that . At that time, it felt like a door to this whole universe, flung open in front of me, and it was absolutely mesmerizing. At that moment, as cliché as it may sound, I found myself in art, and fell for it even more . Identity came into play and, it took me a while to consider myself as an “artist”, the self-hesitation, the “will I ever make it”, “am I really good at this”, or in other words, the imposter syndrome, was a major theme at that time, and still is, sometimes. It is a journey, an ongoing journey, one that never fails to astonish me, in so many ways. Despite the difficulties one must face when thinking about becoming a working artist, it is greatly rewarding . The community, the people you meet, the faint moments of pride that tingles you with every finished piece. The sense of accomplishment, the admiration, to witness progression in real-time, to see that you've come so far and knowing that you could do even better, just to name a few, is great, truly. And what’s greater than that is the ability to share your work with the world, and have it spoken to you.
"When it comes to art, it's important not to hide the madness" 26 NEWS LETTER VOLUME _IV
