and when she followed her heart,
her entire world changed.
Within Without
A story of courage, isolation and great adventure!
Ever feel like you have just had enough of everything and simply want to hit the reset button? I did, I had too! things had spiralled so far out of control that I could see no other way to move forward. I had developed such strong cycles it was hard to break, stepping back now and looking this process has very much been reflected in my artwork, often operating in my inner mind, the place where the real grand plan is going on.
My first exhibition, New Perspective was named so as I felt I was bring my art to a new level by exhibiting it and for that I needed to be brave and change the way i looked at things. I was honestly terrified. A good friend advised me, just work on it, because at the end of the day you actually have enough artwork to show now! Just DO IT!
and so I did! But I took it as far as my front door step! HAHAHA I'd pulled off the illusion of bravery! HA! The funny thing was, after it all I was thinking to myself, HEY! you did it! Sure, there's loads more work to do but the hardest part is done! First exhibition done!
A dream come true! The month following my first exhibition sadly both my grandmothers passed away and I was evicted from my affordable flat! I felt in one moment I was on top of the world and in the next moment no ground was under my feet! With all this going on in my personal life following through with New Perspective was hard. Between the heart ache of loosing both my grandmothers and sucking it up just enough to find somewhere to live when I had no money was a serious challenge... I had to spend my next 6 month budget on securing a home to live in.
The timing was weirdly cosmic I guess as all of a sudden my life, just when it was falling apart, started coming together. I realised that this was my moment, this was my opportunity to re invent the direction I was taking. So I moved to Stanley and went for my second art exhibition 'Stepping out'. I was away from Pan Hoi Street, Quarry Bay my comfort zone for the previous 6 years, in Stanley and right beside the sea. so I found a quite place to camp out and set up all my artwork.
Here I was invited to take my work up to a gallery! WOW second exhibition and already an invite to an gallery... but thats another story...
At this point I was starting to panic a bit, then an old school friend of mine (and patron of the arts) commissioned me to do a very large piece for his office. The whole thing from start to finish was just odd. The concept that he was paying me to paint was totally foreign to me. It all went very well but WOW was it a learning curb :)
I reached summer of 2015 and just totally freaked out. I was almost completely broke and I don't mean I over ran my budget, I had nothing! but pure raw passion and a desire to see this art thing through. So I made it work, somehow and pushed through to my next exhibition 'Reaching out'... because it was time for something to happen, I'd put my hole heart mind body and soul on the line for all this, not mentioning the credit card ;)
After I set it all up I sat back and thought YES! 3rd time lucky indeed... there was not a thing I would change. People asked me if it was successful unfortunately I feel my reply is quantified in money terms, but this is not what this is about. I want to move forward as an artist. I want to reach out and touch the stars, especially in places where the streets have no name ;) What will I do for money? I guess I will keep moving forward put my values and goals first and hope that one day something will eventually pay off.
What am I saying, it is paying off already. I'm free, I feel passion and creativity growing stronger in me everyday. We all need help to succeed but the best help you can get is from yourself, the only catch being you must believe in yourself and follow no one else's voice except your own.
Thank you for reading. Check out my website at www.aranaartndesign.squarespace.com
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