Since my earliest childhood, I had a dream. To become an artist.
When children in kindergarten tried to draw a house, a fence, or smoke coming from the chimney, I was trying to draw the nose of the educator. Those children told me: "That's caricature. Not art. "
I defended myself with words that Leonardo Da Vinci, the greatest artist in history, drew cartoons. Back then, I didn't even know the true meaning of those words.
Later, my life turned into a diverse direction. I was preparing for enrollment at the Art Academy. I drew a lot during my high school and had a map of over 300 drawings. A good friend of mine took that map to her school, to show it to her friends. That day, the map disappeared. She barely survived. I consoled her with words "It doesn't matter, because if my drawings are missing now, one day I'll certainly be a great artist".
I was not accepted to the Art Academy. They told me I was talented, and that the education I was going to receive there was not necessary. I felt like a young eagle whose wings were cut off. Beside my unsuccessful enrollment at the Academy, I didn't have any luck in finding a studio of a professional artist where I could teach painting. I completely withdrew from painting, and escaped into another world, where art was pretty much non-existent.
But one morning, I woke up with the cognition that 2 men aren't living in me, and that I have only one choice. To become an artist. Then, something happened that changed my life. I realized how much i do not know about painting, and that a big pause without painting left a colossal mark. Only with extreme hard work could i compensate it. I had to pierce through everything. The goal seemed so unrealistic, and the way endless. I absorbed every single trace of art that i encountered and spent more than 20 hours per day painting. But I learned the most through thorough analysis of the great master's works. I was alone, but not "lonely", happy in my art world .
To my surprise, shortly after i received the status of an independent artist, and became a member of various significant international art institutions. I had once felt free...Life supported me. I continued working, believing in myself and my talent.
I've been living that dream ever since, and I teach other people to be brave as i am. I teach them that the painter is born when he starts living his painting, and artist, when his art becomes more important than his own life.