And, if we only scratch a living from it, At least it's a living worth scratching,

"If I only scrape a living at it,

at least its a living worth scraping, there's no firture in it,

but it's a life worth remembering"

Mikey Smith - Surf Photographer

To see the Video of this remarkable man

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I never grew up wanting to be an artist. I was encouraged as a child to create, and creating was play, and people didn't make money from playing.... People earned money from working...hard graft, drafting your fingers to the bone, working yourself to death....all to pay the bills and put money on the table. This preconditioned belief was reinforced so much so, that a career in Art was never an option. Even at school the subconscious messages slowly drip fed into my brain. I could imagine the Careers Teacher shaking her head in dismay if I had ever answered the question: 'So Susan (that's my Sunday name.....generally reserved for when my mother was really angry) what would you like to be when you leave school?', 'Well I was thinking of being an artist'.... you see I have an issue here....you cannot BE an Artist....or become one for that matter....no you either are one or you aren't. You either feel comfortable referring to yourself as an artist or not. However I believe that EVERYONE is creative.

I have often had it said to me that people would LOVE to be Artistic.... and we all are, but to what degree is only a matter of opinion. But being Artistic is a very different title that actually labelling yourself as one. I Am.....try it....I Am An Artist.....how comfortable are you with that?

For most people, they can only say 'I Am An Artist' once they truly believe in themselves and in what the produce. It all becomes easier once you start to make Art your only source of income. Of course there are exceptions to the rule and I am generalising and my observations are directed at the majority of creative not the minority.

'I Am An Artist' I am fortunate to have taken some crazy risks in my life and ended up making my Art my full time career. I fought against it and tried, without success to be many other things before....But I am inside me a Creative Spirit, and working in any other job would drive me stir crazy. You see, I just can't help the way I am. I get great delight from making a blank piece of paper come to life. I work with words....positive thinking, motivational, inspirational, emotional words that resonate inside me and actually make me 'Feel' that emotion to my very core. My spiritual beliefs and practices give me food for my soul which in turn translates to creativity on a page. You see....we artists 'FEEL'....we have to be moved to create. Our souls need to be fed like a hungry child. Sadness, pain and trauma, somehow stifles our creative souls. We need to take time to look, to think, to meditate, to be still.....and then the magic happens.

When we follow our true calling, our life's purpose, all is well with the world. Artists who choose to make art their living are courageous, risk takers and above all warriors, who dare to go against convention. We are not afraid of feelings, emotions, risk taking....for we do that every time we put pen to paper. We have our innermost thoughts and feelings transparently superimposed on paper. We have nothing to hide. We are who we are and what you see is what you get. We are open to criticism and are ready to take the harsh blows life has to throw at us. Being an artist is not a soft option. Those who think we need to stop messing and get a real job, should change places for a few weeks.....for being an artist is both a blessing and a curse. We have a great deal of self motivation and we learn to ride out the storms. We love to share our knowledge and encourage others to create, for our creativity is part of our soul and we find it hard to distinguish where one starts and the other ends. We work long hours for little return and certainly do not do it for the money.....for if we did, most of us would be doing something else.

No, we do it for the love of it. For the sheer pleasure of sharing our passion with others. We do it to change the world, bring some light into0 the darkness and let the world for some people just stop for one brief minute. Oh and we don't retire...because we are what we are. A concert pianist doesn't stop playing music just because he has reached 65.

We are born to create and will create all our lifetime, it's not something we can switch off....no matter how hard we try. We need to be understood and ask that people go gentle on us....for at the end of the day....through art we gain inner peace and calm and only want to spread a little around.

And, if we only scratch a living from it,

At least it's a living worth scratching,

and a life lived following our bliss.

Sue Simpson