The world is a big art gallery!

Experts would define Art as a diverse range of human activities resulting in magnificent products. Some would refer it to any skill or mastery closely associated with crafts and sciences. While others categorized it into Visual Arts which includes the creation of images or objects like in painting, photography and sculptures. Another would be Performing Arts where creative activities are performed in front of an audience, such as drama, music, and dance. Truly, Art has a very broad definition.

Different individuals would define Art on their own somewhat different, amazing and amusing way. But for me, Art is an expression of my inner creative self, from a visual drawing to arranging my room with a peculiar but sophisticated design.

As far as my memory could remember, I was already holding a crayon and a paper before I went to formal school in my childhood days. I just do doodles and I love to draw Barbie’s hair in a curly version with all the colors in my Crayola box. I can't remember if someone taught me how to draw but according to my parents, nobody taught me.

But tracing back my artistic origins, my father was artistically inclined as well. He is an engineer as well as an architect. I saw a blueprint of our house with his name on it which inspired me to put my curly Barbie hair drawings to the next level. While my mother who was also artistic in her own way through teaching. During my childhood, writing and reading cause my nose to bleed, big time! I even remember, copying the whole “Acknowledgement” page of a book to my father who was working abroad that time and then sending it to him as a “letter”. Just to show that, “Hey Papa, I know how to write in English”. My older brother also influenced me with his school projects that he brings home which are somewhat abstract or functional. I would always see it in a different way though, like a Popsicle house would look like to me as a yummy gingerbread house that makes my stomach growl or an abstract group of steel wire would look like to me, well guess what, Barbie’s curly hair. I really love Barbie back then. My younger sister on the other hand, is my number one fan for all my art creations and would patiently listen to the back stories of my crafts, which boosts my creativity as well.

So, I really can’t determine which or who could have influenced me to be creative, to be artistic and to do things in a very extraordinary way. Well, perhaps my family has a big part of it and especially when I first went outside our home and meet different people and went to different places. It’s like the world is a big museum or art gallery for me. I see everything beautifully. I can turn a rock into an amazing piece of sculpture in my mind. I wish I knew how but I haven’t tried chiseled sculpture except a clay sculpture of a yellow chubby duck when I was in Grade 3 in elementary school.

And while I was getting older, I realized that Art is not just limited to pen and paper, drawings and paintings. It is in all of us. It is part of us. From simple gestures, simple words, simple places, simple things and simple events, you will see Art in action. It really amazes me all the time. Our world is a big Art gallery of amazing people, breathtaking places and unforgettable memories. So, if you think you are not “artistic” enough, you are wrong, because it is within you. Open yourself to your muses and let art and creativity flow and be a blessing to everyone!