Most people who want to make art are obsessed with the how, but today I wanted to talk about something that is rarely paid attention to – the WHY.

There must be as many different reasons for making art as artistic souls.

An artist I mentor once said she wanted to (learn to) paint and draw cause she wanted to have something of her own – different and special – to match how she felt inside.

I reflected upon this…

I thought about how we live most of our adult lives as team players.

We play in the family team, the co-workers team, the neighbors team, the close friends team… We share our time and energy and attend to the needs and wishes of others all the time. We do it because we like or love these people, want to please them, or it’s our duty.

Sharing is great, but everyone needs to have something that is just her own.

My student knew that, and it gave her the push she needed, the courage to start painting.

And I believe this is true for most of us: knowing our why makes us take action.

So, I suggest you think about what making art again or doing it on another level would mean for your life. How would it make you feel? Be specific. You may even want to write it down in the present tense as if it is already happening. And put your why somewhere where you can see it.

Knowing your WHY will give you the courage to start becoming the artist you want.