I finally made a decision about where I want to go with my drawing. I have had so many different things pulling me in different directions over the past few years... and although I am not out of the running with medical school, I think I have accepted that I am officially just burnt out on that track. Its been emotionally exhausting really, and seeing patients every day hasn't been very inspiring either. The job of a physician in this current time, is pretty crappy. Which was okay, but the thought of having to continue to apply just doesn't make me happy anymore.
While waiting for the spring to come to hear back from the schools I interviewed at, I really wanted to start working on something, ANYthing, career-wise. I realized the happiest moments during my day are when I am able to make creative decisions, and so thought about how I could incorporate that into an alternative career. There are certainly designing and coordinating jobs out there, but my lack of education in that field doesn't obviously put me at the top for applicants. Hence the following plan for my future while currently in limbo:
1. Create a collection of sketches that would be marketable to a large group
2. Come up with a business name, logo or quote, design, business cards, policies, and get a Tax ID #.
3. Perfect my ability to make professional prints from my sketches
4. Begin posting and selling prints and originals on Etsy.
5. Take community college courses in the evenings to develop my drawing skills, and get my feet wet with painting.
6. Develop my personal style as an artist.
Even if this "business venture" isn't able to support me, it could very likely at least offer some slight bump in income (especially since production costs would be so minimal), and at the same time allow me to develop a hobby I have always wanted to explore anyway.
Ultimately, the fact that I would be able to put all that on a resume, might seriously afford me the opportunity to climb up a more artistic career path.
I finally feel almost content, satisfied. Confident. Excited.
I made this decision Wednesday of this week. When I went home, after speaking with a friend about it, she immediately requested some Classic Winnie the Pooh prints with quotes. This idea (although not artistically original, still pretty marketable) sent me on the hunt for inspiration from other classic children's books.
I started that night on one from The Velveteen Rabbit. I still have to add in some grass and leaves to ground him, and then load it to the computer so I can add the quote and make it into a print. I am going to use this quote:
"When a child loves you for a long, long time, not just to play with, but REALLY loves you, then you become Real."
All the sketches I do of this are going to be part of my Storybook Collection.
I also want to do original pieces for older children from classic books such as
1. The Secret Garden
2. A Little Princess
I know its a crazy optimistic plan, but in the end happiness is what matters, and I finally feel like I am going in the right direction for that. I feel peaceful, which I haven't felt for a long long time.
