I’ve never considered myself an artist. Yet I’ve also discovered that’s exactly where I’m wrong. Watch a kindergartner color, and you’ll see an artist. Each of us still has that five-year-old artist inside of us, we just have to stop worrying about what everyone thinks, and create.

Art isn’t always pretty. Sometimes it’s painful. Sometimes it’s ugly. Sometimes it’s real. So much of my artwork doesn’t mean anything to other people. My parents scoffed when a black and white photograph of mine, “Beautiful,” was published. They didn’t see what I saw in the photo. I often see art as capturing a glimpse of life for us to observe, and I think life is beautiful, even if it can be ugly.

Today I added my artwork to ReALMagazine.com’s Student Art Gallery. I’m not doing it to show off or make a quick buck (although that doesn’t hurt), or to try to impress people. I’m doing it because I love creating. And creations don’t do any good sitting on the shelf. They exist to be observed, critiqued, liked, and disliked. Enjoy.