They say from a young age that we all have strong imaginations that are either stifled or blossomed as we develop as a children. When I was a kid, my imagination grew out of control. To this day, it adds to my creative eye. Through my life, I had noticed I have what I call the artist's curse, which I believe developed from my imagination growing into a huge dragon that swelled up inside me as I became an adult.
At first you don't realize the curse is approaching. It begins very slowly and starts to change how you look at simple thing like staircases, sidewalks, even the walls that surround you. The curse is a life-changing event. It slowly takes an everyday object and adds a whole new definition to it.
At first you realize more predominant corners, lines, and angles. They stick out to you and become the center of your attention. Then, when that is all you notice while you walk to class or sitting in a busy cafe, the curse grows once more. You begin to see shadows, textures, shapes and colors in every corner of your life. You start to notice the way shadows cascade over other objects. You notice that every texture starts to take its own shape and jump off of walls and other objects to grab your attention.
The last stage comes down on you like a massive wave. It whips out any aspect you have on life. It changes every image you see on a daily basis. You not only see see angles, shadows, or textures, you start to notice movement and the way objects look after they have been used. You notice the beauty in the wear and tear of things.
After this point, the curse never leaves you, it becomes a part of you for life. As you walk to class, you notice the movement and path of a leaf leaving a trail out in front of you. You start to draw and sketch people's faces as you sit in deep conversation with them. When looking at hands, leaves, or even books, you start to catch the movement and the paths they make.
Every well-developed artist will understand this curse, but to us, it is a blessing. It drives your passion and ability further than you ever thought was possible. It seems annoying and odd when you first start to change, but in the end, you would never give it back or live without it again.
