Being an Artist is like being a drop of ink in an ocean of paint

Sometimes I feel like I'm a drop of ink in an ocean of paint. I posted the above image on Instagram as part of the weekend hashtag project "imagine" (#WHPimagine). Instagram then selects a lucky few to be featured on their feed throughout the following week. They do this every week, with different weekend project themes. I don't usually partake, but I felt that "imagine" was right up my alley of art. As you can probably already deduce, I didn't get featured. Why did I want to be featured? Because I need more exposure for the art that I create. Granted, I can always improve. I can do things differently, I can change my artistic style. But what Instagram chose to feature was so cliche, so been there done that. Don't get me wrong, they were beautiful images. Creative and artistic. But...the tag was IMAGINE. You can go so much farther with a theme like that. So I was disappointed. 

There are so many artists out there. Now more than ever. Making art and sharing it with the interwebs is as easy as the press of a button. Sometimes it's art, sometimes it's just pictures and videos of people's lives. And they make a living out of it. And it is so inundated that it is hard to get noticed. Hard to make a real impression when the audience is basically just ready to consume the next one. No one really takes the time to absorb when there is so much more out there to keep your brain "occupied". Scroll, scroll, swipe, like, scroll, scroll. Authentic connections are dwindling. Authentic art and information is hidden in this sea of media. I think it's important to slow down and follow the things that are truly important to you. But there are so many options. So many distractions...

Nevertheless! I am not giving up. In fact, I'm starting an illustration class at Art Center at Night next week. I know that I'll be able to find my groove with just a little push in the right direction. Art is all about exploring. But for someone like me, sometimes it's hard to explore if I don't have the proper structure and guidelines. I've never been to art school. Everything I create is self taught or simply experimentation. And I know there's a lot to learn out there and a lot more to experiment with. So here I go...