I suppose it’s natural for creative people to branch out into different mediums and skills. Painting happy clouds and mountains is a start, but once you get comfortable doing that, it only makes sense to look for other artistic outlets. I might try a familiar theme in a different kind of paint, or learn to weld, weave or build pots out of clay. Trying something new is creative. It’s not easy. It’s not immediately satisfying, because your brain has to figure out a whole new skill. If you stick with it, you can add something completely different to your repertoire. The messenger of your mind is still the same. The work your hands create will share something because they are produced by the same artist. Sometimes I attempt to replicate something of my acrylic paintings in glaze on the side of a jug or bowl. Sometimes I just try to make a form that will stand on its own, and not crack while drying or being fired in the kiln. Either way, my pottery will speak the same language as my paintings. More closely related, are my paintings in acrylic and oil. If telling your story is the goal, then this branching out by using alternate art supplies is a way to expand your mind and abilities. Everything I know, I have discovered through my body’s senses. That knowledge is automatically put into my database, layered onto whatever software was in my brain when I was born. Of course my artwork reflects my life and my personality. Learning language allows me to attach meaning to the symbols in my art. Learning language also hinders my true expression, since I have no choice but to express the voice of the culture I was taught. I was domesticated, and I was lied to. We all were. I find that I can loosen the grip of those teachings, and slowly find my own voice. I don’t have to accept or believe the lies. Yes, the opinions of other people influence what comes out of me, but hopefully less and less. If I can release what offends me, think for myself and love myself in spite of the barrage of negative messages, I can grow. If I grow as a person, my art will also grow more authentic. My goal is to express my own view in my work, not something from someone else. This is why I say I paint for me. Allowing myself to be vulnerable in my work, in public, seems like the best way to speak to something deep inside my viewer. I was born with a spark, or flame inside me. Because I naturally had an interest in making marks or building something, I kept doing it. I was practicing without even realizing it. One day, it dawned on me that I could draw. I’d known it for a while by then. It was easy. It was easy to dismiss.