Why Art? - Published on first blog, October 2020

Hi! Welcome to Rae's Art home base. I want my brand to be built around authenticity, so I'll be honest with you. My teacher is making me write this blog. And I'm incredibly grateful for it. All my life the right people come by at the right time to push me out of my comfort zone, and then amazing things happen. I don't always need the kick in the pants, but this time I did. Making a website is daunting, y'all!

As an artist, I share many traits with my fellow creatives. These include mental illnesses, imposter syndrome, and motivation issues. Art has been my favourite coping strategy and form of expression, but I've also begun creating art for others. I enjoy making beautiful images, seeing the different reactions and emotions people get out of my work, and I love trying new techniques.

I've always enjoyed being creative, I even collected the colouring pages from Sunday School when I was five. I am the second of four children, and my mom didn't have time to watch that I didn't make a mess, so the times I got to do arts and crafts are treasured memories. Vacation Bible School, or VBS, was a highlight of my summers, and I'd come home laden with macaroni art and toilet roll binoculars. I took my first art classes when I was seven years old and fell in love with painting. When school started again, one of my paintings won first place in the only art and science show I entered. I was hooked, but for some reason I pulled back from art until my second to last year of high school. My art teacher then was a wonderful influence, and helped me rediscover my love of art, specifically painting. My class was given the opportunity to organize and host our own show. That show was the encouragement that I needed, as people expressed admiration and I realized that I'm not as terrible an artist as I had thought.

I left that show with a lot to think about, and Rae's Art was born. I set up an art Instagram page, mostly just for myself and friends. I was pleasantly surprised when others showed interest, and started working to grow my following.

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Art is at its purest when it is done with passion, and I've always struggled with defining my personal passion. I landed on mental health through dealing with my own issues, and came to realize that I was blending two passions together through my artwork. I could never be a counsellor, therapist, or psychiatrist, but I can tell my story through art, and maybe someone can get inspiration from it. If I can help even just one person, my life with chronic mental illness would be worth it.

A lot of my personal inspiration comes from nature. I have this wonder about the natural world that I never lost from childhood, and I'm grateful for that. I love how I notice the beauty in the tiniest little details that everyone else seems to miss, and in those moments I fall in love with life.

It's very ironic, that the darkest moments make the happy ones that much brighter.