Art still seems foreign to me. If I was told to draw a picture, it
would most likely not have any resemblance to what I intended it to
be. I lack traditional art skills; drawing, painting, etc. Art has
always been present in my life, whether it was commiserating with
friends stressing over their project deadlines or going to an art
festival on the weekend with my family. Art or the effects of it has
always surrounded me. I regret not having found the joy of art
earlier, I have certainly had the opportunities, but I was far more
concerned about developing skills to ensure job security in high
school than developing skills that would lead to my own happiness.
My first two years of college were horrible. I was unenthusiastic
about going to my classes. I had no interest in any of my classes, I
was taking them because I had to, and that caused me to burn out
on them. A friend of mine suggested I should take a quarter off
from business classes and try out art classes. He reasoned that I
would enjoy them because he and I are quite alike have
collaborated on creative projects over the years. I decided to take
his suggestion.
The concept of a studio class intrigued me, the freedom to think
and create was a complete a new experience, compare to sitting in
class everyday zoning out during my accounting lectures. I
decided to take more are classes in the summer and it was a
snowball effect, I have kept taking art classes ever since then. To
date I have not gone back to my business classes.
I have never put so much energy into and experienced such
commitment with anything as much as I have with my art classes,
simply because they feel “right.” If I had put as much focus as I
have with my art into anything else, I believe I could have been
successful, but not happy. The accomplishment I have gained from
creating art fuels my happiness, it makes me feel alive. While I am
still unsure of which direction my art will go in, I do know it makes
me happy which keeps me energized and excited about what I’m
doing which are my highest priorities.
-Shahid Khan