A Letter To...

Every Artist

Hey guys, if you could just put down whatever's in your hands and sit down, that would be great. A lot people look down on what you do, especially if you try to make a living off of it. I mean in college, they consider it as a "freebie". Like, seriously? Being an artist is WAY harder than they think and give us credit for. I guess this is going to kinda a list of art- related... issues. So just... try and stay with me here.

Drawing in front if people. If I'm drawing, with music blasting in headphones, it is not an invitation to come up to me and pester me with questions such as "what are you drawing?", "are you an artist?" or, my personal favorite, "can you draw me?". Can't you leave me alone? Like, is it really that hard? Just mind your own buisness, and let me draw whatever I like, please and thank you. And another thing, I don't care if your cousin's friend's boyfriend's sister's bff mom likes to paint. I do care that you leave me alone, so that I can listen to Twenty-One Pilots blasting as I sketch a picture of a skeleton girl, thank you very much.

Saying it is very easy or saying "you must be so talented". Basically saying anything along the lines of "not really special" or "all about talent". Excuse me, I didn't come out of the womb painting the Mona Lisa, I practiced for a long time just to do this mediocre shit I call art. And no, it wasn't fucking easy to learn how to draw a hand holding a pencil, or a girl crying in the rain, it was hard as fuck. And excuse my language, but it kinda pisses me off, as all artists everywhere had to pratice very hard to get where they are at, so for you to say it's all because of talent or it's all just easy is kinda idiotic. I could draw 100 things a day, and only 1 will not look like a infant threw up on a piece of paper. It's NOT easy, at all.

Feeling inspired, but not having any ideas/ having a ton of ideas, but you just can't draw that day. Does this happen to anyone else? Is it just me? Like, one day I'll wake up and feel like drawing all day, but when my creative mood knocks on my brain's door it's just like nothing's there. It's like THe oNe Day i nEED yOU And yOu deCIDEd iT waS TiME foR A VacATIon!!! (Same could be applied to my hands, they dont always function as well as I would like).

I don't really know how to end this, I guess I'll just say hey guys. People can be pricks sometimes, and they take us for granted. Honestly though, it kinda makes me feel even more determined... although it is very annoying. Being an artist is hard. But hey, it's worth it.

Love,
Ali