Hidden Talent

I’m not boastful by nature, but sometimes you need to put modesty aside in the name of truth. Here’s the truth. While I have a little talent when it comes to writing stories, I’m also an incredibly gifted self-taught artist.

In much the same way Atticus “One Shot” Finch gave up his god-given shooting talent in To Kill a Mockingbird, I’ve been hiding away my talent with pen and ink for years, trying not to show off when there are so many with less artistic talent than I am fortunate to possess.

But it’s time for a change. I recently purchased an inexpensive tablet for art that has rekindled my excitement for drawing, and I’ve been inspired to share one of those pieces with you today.

Yarn Cat, Calvin Sharpe, 2022, Digital

This was a particularly exciting composition. I wanted to capture the essence of “Cat” while embodying the spirit of “Yarn.” I’m proud to say that I think I’ve done that here.

I also want to encourage all those people out there who feel like they need to shy away from their talents out of fear of making others feel bad. Will “Yarn Cat” make other artists feel insecure? Of course it will. But we can’t live our lives based on other people’s worries. Who knows how many “Yarn Cats” have been lost to time because artists were too polite to share what they could do?

And before you ask, no, I will not be offering my art in the form of NFTs. This is both an ethical decision and also a matter of me not really understanding what those are.

#artist #artlife #yarncat