Art: My Newest Love

I never thought that art would become one of my most important hobbies. I was never good at art, my sixth grade art teacher can vouch for that- but I think after years of being mediocre at best, I decided to change.

Why can't I be the one whose art is shown to the class?

Why can't I be the one whose used as an example?

And I realized, that at first- art was merely "for fun", something I did when I had literally nothing else to do. How could I become better than those who drew with their hearts and poured their sweat, tears, and souls into their sketches?

"Sunflowers"

That up there is the product of my efforts. 

Hours of arduous work, fiddling with minute details and boxes of messed up oil pastels. 

Classes and classes of brush strokes and patterns made from the imprints of crumpled paper towels. 

Soaked sponges, watered down tempera and design scratches made from pen caps.

Unbelievable.

Several people have even offered to buy it from me- and I am quite flattered, though hesitant. Selling this piece that marked the beginning of my love for art is sort of like selling a small piece of my heart. And I'm still deciding.

I don't believe that I am the best, though I do believe that I am decent enough at art. I am an amateur, though a proud one. I don't exactly plan to pursue a career in art- but it is something I don't think I could really give up.

I, personally, think this proves that people can change for the better. I never ever imagined that I would be able to do something of this level because I was the kid who daydreamed in kindergarten art "enrichment" and dozed off during the teacher's lecture in middle school art class. It's kind of ridiculous that somebody would pay for my work. 

It just goes to show- you don't know where you're going to end up, nor can you prejudge yourself. 

People can change, evolve for the better if they try.

You can change to become better if you try. 

In the end, it is effort that's the key. 

I would show you all before and after pictures of my drawings- but it would be quite embarrassing to say the least. Trust me- my art work was cringe worthy. 

Blogger Questions: Should I sell this artwork or not? 

What is your favorite piece of artwork?

What is Success?

"I don't have the key to success- but I sure do have the key to failure: try to please everyone." - Bill Cosby 

 One of the most life changing quotes ever. You see- I am- or at least I was, the type of person who bent easily, and I always gave in to others' demands in order to make them happy. At one point in time, I couldn't even accept that some people didn't or wouldn't like me.

No no- it wasn't an inflated ego or anything; it was more of, "I've been so nice- how can he/she not like me?". I didn't especially take to that feeling of being hated, and I had even gone so far as putting myself down to please others. One of my biggest mistakes in life- not having a back bone. I just wanted to be accepted- to be popular, and I had felt that a single person's disapproval equated failure. What a skewed misconception.

See- after years of looking back (though I'm not that old), I've realized that the cold hard truth is: not everyone will like you- not everyone will accept you, no matter how hard you try. The vast majority may, but not every single person you meet will like you. So in the end, you just have to hold your head high and march to your own tune. Why change to please a handful of people?

So the big question is, what is success? Would you really scale your own personal level of achievement upon what other people think of you? Is that what it truly comes down to?

I personally think that if you're too busy being caught up in these trivial issues, where are you going to get the time to do something big- something greater?

This quote helped me to realize that life isn't just about gaining approval. Why do we always crave for that approval- can't we be happy with ourselves? 

So dance your own dance, sing your own song- live your own life. 

Don't push yourself under just so that others may merely "approve" of you. 

You are not merely an object to be criticized. 

Blogger Question: What is success to you? 

The Beginning

So.
It's my first time blogging, and I can't express how anxious I am. I would like to introduce myself as well as explain why I have started blogging.
You all can call me Starry, and I've started blogging because I want to inspire. Sounds cliche right? But it's true- for the most part. I also wanted to indulge in the details of "pretti-fying" my blog since I love to do that type of thing with basically everything. 

This blog will contain a variety of things- ranging from writing excerpts that I don't have a backstory for and youtube videos that I love as well as my artwork to even volunteer projects that I would like to promote, book recommendations, and interesting food.

Anything inspiring. 

Inspiration 1: SNSD 
I am first and foremost- an avid S♥NE. For those who do not know, a S♥NE is a fan of Girl's Generation, the English translation of So Nyuh Shi Dae (what SNSD stands for). Yes, they are a foreign music group- and even though they may not appeal to everyone, they have definitely inspired me. For people who have never watched them- they are wonderful girls. 

You may ask, "How would you know?" and as a fan, I can never be sure. But I do believe that these girls are genuine and honest, hard workers for sure. And the most inspiring part? 

They're dream chasers. 

One of their older songs: Into the New World.

The lyrics are very inspiring to me and this video might be one of my favorites.

It shows how "real" they are.

(the video is not in English- but I believe you don't need to understand them to see how these girls are like)

Inspiration 2: Writing
I sincerely love to write. It brings me joy and a great sense of satisfaction. Even though I go to a school that is so math and science focused, I cannot forego writing. I believe that I have a certain knack for it too- though that can be left up to more objective judgment. 

And as I lay my head back down, the drops curve into my small smile. They taste like the sea- thick with my sadness. So as the velvety light from the candle dims and gentle night breeze begins to rustle my sheets, I take a long, deep- shaky breath. Salty sadness fills my lungs but a clearness becomes evident in my head. 

Tomorrow will be a new day.

Inspiration 3: Art
I am also an artist. I love to create things- no matter the medium. I've worked with a variety of mediums: oil pastels, water color, acrylic- the list goes on. Though I am nowhere near what you would call- a good artist. I just love art. 

And the last one- might not simply be an inspiration.

But more of a reason. 

My Lord has gotten me farther than anything else in this world. 

"So I'll be my brother's keeper" 

This blog is for me.

This blog is for you. 

This blog is meant to inspire me-

and I hope it inspires you as well.

Sun showers come unexpectedly, the small rain droplets tickling your skin on a sun-kissed day. I would like this blog to be like a sun shower- unexpected, warm, and one that leaves a tickle in your heart. 

Blogger Question: What inspires you?