3 Ways Being An Artist Is Like Being A Mermaid

Out Of Water Mermaid Poster (available here)

I know that being an artist can sometimes feel like being a fish out of water.  However, I like to think of it as being more like a mermaid.  You know, mostly human but with a little bit of magic going on somewhere beneath the surface.

Need more examples? Here are three ways I think being an artist is like being a mermaid:

1. We Have No Fear Of Depths

Mermaid Thoughts from my art journal

I think most artists can relate to the following famous quote by Anais Nin:

"I must be a mermaid, Rango. I have no fear of depths and a great fear of shallow living." 

Though hanging out at the deep end of the pool sometimes makes us feel vulnerable, we know that is where all the treasure is.

2. We See Treasure Everywhere

Art Supplies are treasures all on their own (Mug available here)

Speaking of treasure, that stuff is everywhere when you're a mermaid or an artist. Things and ideas that seem odd, broken or insignificant to others seem to sparkle for us and even when they don't we can't help but think what a little bit of paint or glitter might do.  Oh sure, our caves may get a little crowded with all those riches floating around but is there really such a thing as too much beauty? I don't think so, either.

3. Not Everyone Believes In Us But The Ones Who Do Are Awesome

Some Of My Best Friends Are Mermaids T-shirt (available here)

Not everyone believes in mermaids and that's okay with them. After all, they don't want to share their treasure with just anyone. We artists could actually stand to be a little more like mermaids in this regard.  We so want to share the beauty we see in the world with others that we get disappointed when someone fails to recognize it.  However, every now and then someone awesome comes along who really gets it and that makes everything worth it.

I'm sure there are a lot of other ways artists are like mermaids.  Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments below.  And if you love mermaids like I do, click here to check out the cards and gifts at my Imagine Mermaid shop on Zazzle.

Oh, and don't forget to like the new I Believe In Art page on Facebook!

As always, thanks for reading.

Peace, Love and Art,
Victoria

My Many Muses: David Bowie

Since his death, I, like so many other people, have been listening to a lot of David Bowie.

There are so many great Bowie songs that I love but my favorite will always be "Rock N' Roll Suicide" from The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars, for one simple reason: because when I listened to that song as a misunderstood teenager and he sang, “You're Not Alone”, I believed him (and I still do). I believed him because David Bowie didn't just make being different or weird look cool, he made it meaningful, he made it beautiful - he made it art. It made me realize that, in my own way, I could do that too.

And that is why I believe in Bowie, always.

Peace, Love and Art,

Victoria

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