Why Did I Become an Artist

I get asked this frequently when it is mentioned in a conversation or interview. Other questions such as:

-Aren't you scared of what others think of your career choice? (NO! HECK NO! Well actually sometimes it scares me to be honest but I generally thrive on it.)

-So are you a tree hugger? (I love nature but tree hugger.....what do YOU mean by this connotation of terms?)

What do your parents think of your career path? (This is rather personal and a long story but they support me 100% after they have seen what can be accomplished and are extremely proud of me for coming this far.)

Aren't you scared of people not liking your work? (The world is full of skeptics that are going to dislike your work and vice versa.)

And the list goes on and on which I am not going to drag on out.

So as I sit here on this sunny early morning, my main question is, why did I become a doctor....I mean an artist, lol! I actually started out, in my younger years of course, having this uncannily ability to create something out of nothing, whether it was paint, dirt, rocks, paper, mom's jewelry (sorry mom if you are just finding this out), dad's tools or rather using dad's tools to get it done, etc. If I wasn't getting into trouble for playing on the farm equipment or with animals (or in mom's garden after a rainy day) I was getting my hands dirty creating something. It was natural and always evolving into what it is now.

It was a way to express myself and show it when I did not have the words to do so when growing up. Of course I wanted to be a doctor, marine biologist, writer (we all know my writing is not the best so that was scratched off the career list), a professional athlete in swimming or diving, veterinarian the list goes on. To be honest, the thought of becoming an artist never crossed my mind because I enjoyed it already and it occurred to be this past week, I was an artist at a very young age but never thought about it as a career only as a hobby.

I became an artist out of instinct, out of natural talent, out of doing what I enjoyed to do to express myself when words failed me. It is a pleasure, comfort and understanding between myself and what I am currently working on. There is a bond and a relationship, which sometimes struggles obviously, that I can rely on and love entirely, even if we do not agree 100% of the time.

Becoming an artist has allowed me to have a constant career to fall back on. I find more and more, there are careers that are being replaced by machines, case in point....apparently there is a hotel either in Japan or China in which the front desk is run by realistic robots! Scary! More jobs are being done by technology, shopping is done online, we don't travel as much, we glue ourselves to our cells rather than having a face to face conversation, etc. Technology is taking over our lives but art cannot be taken over by technology entirely.

I choose this career path because I also get to meet some inspiring artists who have come a long way in life to be where they are now. Along that path, there has been struggles and some falls but we always pick ourselves up and truck along. Some artists include Monique Martin (printmaking artist), Kevin DeForrest (professor by day, mixed media artist by night.....I can only assume, lol), Lin Xu (also a professor and a ceramic artist), Maria Michails (an inspirational artist who cares about the environment and using technology to create a variety of installation art), Steve Gouthro (professor and painter), Alex Janvier (Aboriginal artist of the Indian Group of Seven and I worked for him for 2 years in Alberta, very inspirational), Rebecca Belmore (Aboriginal performance and installation artist), Colleen Cutschall (Aboriginal artist in painting and installation, retire professor) and the list goes on. There are at least another 50 artists, if not more, I have meet, talked to, asked for advice and words of wisdom and encouragement. All these artists have struggled, fallen and have got back on their feet to push forward.

Artists.....if we need to switch our medium, no problem! There is an endless array of medium/media we can choose from to start experimenting with. Painting, drawing, cameras, nature, performance, installation, mixed media, metal, string, lights, our bodies (yes our bodies can be used as art), etc. Sure we may like most of it but there will be times when we do not like certain materials but will work with them anyway. Case in point, watercolour paint and me do not see eye to eye, lol. The thing is, we can always develop new skills with different materials that surround us. It is an endless choice of what can I create next by say using this box and tin foil, yes this can be done and has been done in my 3D design phase.....only last 4 months.

I became an artist for the joy of living a simple life. I have found I do not take a lot of things for granted and if I want something, I work my butt off to get it without relying on the world to do its magic for me. Yes it helps people buy your art, even if they complain about prices, but you are still working towards what you are trying to earn. Simple things such as food in your belly, a roof over your head and the joys of support by your loved ones and friends. a favourite saying recently is "Don't feed an artist! Buy their art and they will feed themselves." So very true! Simple by creating an artwork is the purest of the "simple life" I am describing. Sometimes being an artist is a struggle but in the end it is an inspiring choice for a career and I would not change anything about it. Yes you can have times where you are busy, other times not so much. Case in point, me taking 2 months to write another blog due to another commission piece! WOOT! It will be hanging in the new Prairie Firehouse restaurant in Brandon, Manitoba. (Picture below)

All in all, becoming an artist has been truly motivational and inspiring. Yes, I will not deny it, there has been times where I do catch myself wondering what it would be like to be in a different career or chosen a different career path but then I think, I wouldn't be who am I or where I am today. I am content being an artist and wouldn't change it for anything.

To my followers who are artists, keep on doing what you are doing. Create, be inspired, work at what you love and enjoy doing. It will pay off!

Central Fire Station

Acrylic on Canvas

84 x 48''

2015

Let me know what you think of my blog by writing me an email: n.myker@gmail.com or nicole.m@live.ca Visit my Facebook page: Niki Myker - Artist Follow me on Twitter: @NMyker Follow me on Instagram: nimy All images copyright @ N.Myker (artist)