MINI POST: Artist Mad or Thoughts spawned by cultural and chocolate overload.

I KNOW WHAT'S WRONG WITH ME! Well not that it's wrong, I just found the perfect explanation for my ... quirkiness. AND it only took *mumble* years, and a hectic week and drink memorization craziness and weekend of plays and a chocolate cake overload to realize it. 

My week was spent behind the bar at bartending school when I really wanted (no NEEDED) some time in front of it. So a weekend of new plays was a perfect escape. The first play I saw was about a relationship between two artists, one a dancer and one a painter who is trying to capture him on canvas. This really was a good play and it was also the one that gave me my "ah-ha'" moment. The dancer, Nureyev, said something to the painter like "How is Wyeth like Nureyev?... we are both artist mad," which made me think. Why do I do the things I do and gravitate towards the people I do well... "artist mad."

Let's have a Forrest Gump moment... Do you remember the first picture you ever drew?  Probably not, I know I don't. There was always creativity in my house growing up so it's hard to pinpoint where my madness came from, probably my mom. But oddly enough, I do remember the first drawing that got someone else's attention that was not a family member. It was a drawing of a lion. I drew it when I was in the first grade on a really boring day. I had broken my leg and so couldn't go out to recess therefore I stayed in and noticed a cartoon of a lion on the wall and drew it. I just remember thinking "I'm gonna draw that for my teacher" and so I did. After getting it perfect several tries later, I finally gave it to her. I remember that she acted like it was the best thing ever... the best drawing since Da Vinci picked up a pencil. I don't know what this has to do with being artist mad... maybe because it was the first time I really wanted to get something perfect or the fact that my drawing made her smile. Whatever it was... it was and is addicting. 

So I am "artist mad," and I am not referring to just painting or drawing or sculpting or writing... but the creative gremlin that makes you do all these things. It makes you want to express yourself, to let people see you through your works and to hopefully leave something lasting behind.








So conclusion...
1. Artist madness is a great disease.

2. I'm lucky to know and work with many other artist madmen and women.

3. Our madness is what probably binds us... I feel like the actresses and actors and writers and creative people I've been privileged to work with are more than co-workers... they are family and to use a corny tag line... kindred spirits. 

4. Artist Madness also probably explains the reason behind my blog too.