I find that September, rather than January, is the beginning of the new year. This might be due to the fact that academia begins anew every September, but I think that is only tangential. My personal experience of ‘renewal’ and ‘rebirth’ has always occurred around September simply due to necessity – I moved a lot as a young child, frequently “starting over” at each new school. I attended university in Boston – a place where the leases are seasonal and housing rotates every September and I currently work in an academic-affiliated institution, so September has solidified itself as my own personal new year.

Each year, for the past few years, my life has gotten better and better and I’m finally at a place where I can make a commitment to myself about my art. I have wanted to be an artist practically since birth. It just took me awhile to recognize that truth in myself.

Next week – starting Wednesday, September 14, I will be heading up to Squam, NH for the Squam Art Workshops. Not only will I get the opportunity to meet and learn from some of the artists, illustrators, and creative people that I have admired since I discovered the power of the internet on artists and we creative types. I think a lot of becoming an artist and putting yourself out there is acknowledging your talent. It’s a very bold step to be able to say “I am an artist.”

One of the things that helped me overcome self-doubt (along with the strong urge to rip out every page of my sketchbook that I wasn’t completely satisfied with) was both external praise, but also a severe bicycle accident that I was in last August. I received a concussion and dealt with a lot of post-concussion issues – my verbal skills were severely impacted, I sounded drunk when I spoke, slurring my words. I had to introduce myself to people and preface the conversation with – “No, I have not been drinking, I had a mildly traumatic head injury, let’s go about our business.” After getting a second concussion this past May, having some motor skill issues (to the point where my hand was shaking every single time I picked up a pen or paintbrush) and a diagnosis of carpal tunnel syndrome? I panicked. Who am I if I can’t draw? I’ve never been very good at sports, but I’ve always put myself out there – trying things even though I knew I wasn’t the greatest. Art and most things creative were different – I was naturally good at them and I cherished that talent because it was mine and I loved it. To have it challenged so suddenly and wholly terrified me. What if I could never draw again?

It was actually this fear of never being able to draw again that renewed my spirit. After 6 weeks in a splint, I realised that I had to make the most of things and I knew that my art wasn’t going to be perfect and accepting that my skills might have been impacted in various ways. It has been acknowledging these limitations that freed me from the perfectionist view I once had about my art.

Here’s to trying new things, putting yourself out there and hoping that all the creativity energy you exude comes back to you tenfold.

Cheers & chirps,
Finch