Reading this article on the ArtsHub site today and reflecting on the truth of this statement for me.
I had always liked to draw and taught myself watercolour painiting as a younger woman but it was not until I reached 40 that I made the decision to pursue an unquenchable desire to go to art school that had been with me since I was 17.
Like many I worked 'sensible' (aka administration, sales, clerical) jobs because I was told and believed, that 'artists never made any money' so my artistic interests remained as hobbies.
At 40 as several life circumstances drastically changed so did my thinking - I realised that I had been a 'good girl' and had lead my life as others thought best and that now I wanted to choose something for myself. I left a very secure and well paying admin. job and began my art studies at the National Art School in Sydney.
In second year I dithered between ceramics and printmaking as my major because I loved the tactile qualities of clay and those of woodcuts and collograph prining plates - the plates I say, because I was less interested in the actual prints than creating the textural plates!!
Interest in conceptual art theory followed and saw my first Masters degree at Sydney College of the Arts and then the interest of art as 'design' and its use in commercial contextss saw another Masters at the College of Fine Arts.
Only in 2012 did I take the step to 'professional' artist - I registered my ABN and, with much gratitude to the Australia Council of the Arts, gained an ArtStart grant to kickstart the efforts of my mid-life career choice.
I now work primarily in ceramics and community arts training - far, far less money....far, far more life satisfaction......and a more meaningful start to each day!
Read the article for yourself at ArtsHub:
http://au.artshub.com/au/news-article/opinions/arts/how-art-changes-lives-193806
