"Art will always be there for you. Your youth, some friends, your ability to compete in sports, even loved ones will come and go but your ability to create your own art will always remain."
- Arie Galles
Looking back, I now see my best times on the field when I was an aspiring athlete undoubtedly coincided with periods of consistent, dedicated, creative output- in the arts as well. Conversely, periods of frustration and less athletics success coincided with periods of less engagement with creative endeavors. I'll add this carried over into my professional work life after sports too.
Frankly I do not understand why or how this is the case. I am really curious about this dynamic and hope to find some good research to help gain a better understanding.
Fortunately today's society is seemingly more open and accepting of creatives and artists than it has been in the past.
Perhaps it was because I was an athlete growing up in the 1980's when it was less common to see mentally and physically tough, competitors explore artistic outlets. It is probably more likely to be the result of a confluence of things but somewhere, at some point resistance* began to build.
I am not sure when it started. Perhaps at adolescence when self-consciousness took on a more dominant hold of my psyche? No matter the origins, or when the resistance started to take hold my creative flow, within the realm of art, came to a crashing holt by my mid-twenties and with only a few very infrequent creative spurts, hibernated a bit for nearly 25 years.
Meanwhile, while I do have a little bit of regret for not following the path of the artists earlier in my adult life, I don't really think about it too much. I am just grateful to be on that path today.
Art is essential. It enriches life and for many among us it fuels personal growth and achievement in other areas of life as well.
Thanks to my supportive family and friends who encourage and inspire me to continue down this pathway.
Here are some recent works:
If interested in seeing how these paintings (and many other paintings) are created check out my YouTube Channel Paint & Draw with Tom.
Thanks for hearing me out and checking out my work!
Be well,
Tom
*concept of Resistance referenced by Steven Pressfield in his book "The War of Art" where he describes how self-doubt, vanity, fear, and various deeply held beliefs and emotions fuel creatives ultimate self-sabotage.
Check out my 10-Minute Book Brief: The War of Art
for more information about this fantastic book
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