Cordelia's reflection

Art and drawing have always been a big part of my life. Like all little kids, I loved to draw. But what set me apart from all the other kids was that they grew up and stopped. I did not. And since then, drawing has just become more and more prevalent in my life. I remember during my senior year of high school, I spent so much time drawing, my mother asked if I couldn’t just stop for the year to focus on studying. I could not. Drawing is a part of me.

On that note, I have always enjoyed producing art. I do it for fun and I love looking at art, admiring it, and critiquing it. However, drawing classes have never been my forte. I have often compared it to coconut juice. I enjoy coconut (like I enjoy drawing) so I keep on trying the drinks (as I do classes). It always ends in me making a face, hating it, and wondering why I never learn. I do understand that before I have the right to do just anything with my art, I will need a strong fine arts base. But this goes against what I enjoy, and art, for me, is only a part of me because it comes naturally. Once it does not come naturally, it is no longer a part of me.
After taking this class, I do feel like I have technically improved. I have never before tackled buildings or flora, both of which have been the subject of at least two of my pieces this semester. Unfortunately, I feel like due to this class, or all art classes in general, I am drained of all energy that I might have used to produce my own original art--art that means something to me. In an ironic way, taking art classes actually inhibits my art-making. Even if the doodles and cartoons that I produce aren’t as quality or frame-worthy as anything I could produce in a studio setting, they better reflect who I am as a person, and I would rather that than ruin my love for drawing by doing something I don’t enjoy. That isn’t to say I had an entirely terrible experience this semester--I am rather proud of some of the pieces I made during this period--it’s just an experience I will not likely repeat in the future. Maybe this time I will learn and continue to do what I have always done: keep art as a part of me.