I was recently studying art for a class, and I realized that sometimes artists create artwork for the same reasons writers create their work. Here are some examples.
It can be whatever you want.
Whether it's a feeling, a memory, an abstract, something that tells a story, or just something worth creating, whatever you want- it's all yours!
It's like writing a journal.
Like writing, art gives you a chance to get your voice heard. Only, instead of using words, you use colors, objects, etc. For example, when you're supposed to be feeling happy but instead there's a feeling of darkness inside, you could create a watercolor image contrasting light and dark colors- the dark ones being in the center of the picture.
Georgia O'Keeffe is known for her series of abstract art- especially for her paintings of New York skyscrapers and flowers.
It gives you a chance to be both creative and expressive.
You can create something you can't put into words. You can even create something that best represents who you are and what you come from. I had an art professor who once said that anyone can sit in front of you and tell you about their past and their culture, but you can't really understand it until you see a piece of art based on it- like #2.
Frida Kahlo's work depicts her physical and emotional pain, and the rocky relationship she had with her fellow artist husband, Diego Rivera, who she married twice.
Dutch artist, Vincent Van Gogh is probably another example because so much of his life affected his work.
It doesn't have to be perfect.
If you're creating it for yourself, it doesn't have to be perfect. You may have an imaginary audience, but sometimes you are your own worst critic. True artists believe in their own choices.
Artists and writers both tell stories.
Artists like Norman Rockwell create portraits that tell more stories than you realize- you just have to take a good look at them.
One of my favorite examples done by another artist is Angelica Kauffman's self-portrait of an artist hesitating between the arts of music and painting.
If you have a sense of imagination, then this is perfect for you.
When writers or artists are feeling inspired, they create things. They create whatever pops into their head and then show the world.
Not everyone who sees it is going to understand it, but that's art. You have to have a deep appreciation for art in order to understand it piece by piece.
