Cheers to 8 years of Andrea Merican Art

It is still hard for me to believe that my journey with pursuing art started 8 years ago in 2011. How has it gone by so fast?

I have always had art in my life, ever since I was very little. It is all I ever wanted to do. But somehow the practicalities of life, earning a living, paying a mortgage, bills & budgeting took over. Art got set aside for many years. I ached to bring it back, but didn’t know how.

In 2011, I realized, I wasn’t getting any younger and life wasn’t getting any longer so I decided to stop putting off my true calling. I dedicated a year to solely painting in watercolor, I entered my first shows, I sold my first pieces! It was all very exciting!

8 years later, I am so glad I did. I’m glad I kept pursing my dreams. I’m glad I choose to keep going every time I think I should just give up. 

I wrote that sentence in present tense because I still struggle with thoughts of “this is too hard. why am I doing this? I should just quit.” But every time the thought of not being an artist, or not pursuing my dream sneaks into my reality, I can’t live with it. So I get back up.

I’m grateful to have been given this gift. I’ll always be an artist – no matter what. In many ways, it is one of the hardest things I’ve ever done. But also, incredibly rewarding. Art teaches me about myself. It helps me grow. It opens my eyes to new things. It connects me to amazing people. It gives me grit.

Cheers to the last 8 years and to many more ahead! Thank you for joining me along the journey.