Making the commitment to be an artist

So many people say and want to be an artist. These days it seems everyone is an artist. We all have a creative side that should be nurtured and taken care of. It is important to tap into your creative self. In this it will be a better world and/or art appreciators. We all need that self expression. It is also great to learn art skills. But to make the commitment to become a professional artist is a big step. Since age 5 I am been looking at famous artists work and realizing that is all I ever wanted. The commitment of working on drawings and painting for months/years, trying to find the best ways to express ones ideas and feelings without being contrived is a life long challenge. This can't be done in just a few years. It is a huge commitment and passion. Finding the images you want and also getting the creative flow happening takes hours and hours of working through the layers to access that deep information in ones soul. It is so close to meditation and other spiritual practices. I leave and go into an altered state to access this information. I know that I am doing something new and exciting is happening at different levels of conscious. Artists need years of experience to access this deep level of consciousness. It takes cultivating. I am not saying that someone with passion can not find this aspect of themselves at some point in their lives. There are also many reasons and levels of making art. Just purely making images does not make you an artist. Creating is not always fun, joyful and an activity just to be admired. It is hard work, focus, exhausting and frustrating at times. But if I succeed at finding that visual statement that says more than surface ideas...the satisfaction is beyond words. I always worry that I will not find that depth again.