Spotlight on Aries Artist, Dianna

"In response to your post last night, here is my take on being an Aries in my art life.

Being an artist is somewhat of a new adventure for me. I have always been creative but I found an outlet to express that through my occupation as a high school ESL teacher (English as a Second Language.) It was not until two years ago that I began to paint and a whole new world opened up to me. In many ways it's been what my soul has been searching for and I just never knew it.

In November of 2008 I sold my first painting at an art auction. It was a life-changing and inspiring experience. From that night on, I have been able to change my thinking from being someone who likes to paint, to saying that I am, in fact, an artist.

Since then I have focused more on creating and pushing the limits of what I thought I could do. I am constantly looking for new ways to think about my artwork and pushing myself to turn those new dreams into a reality. I enjoy the challenge of working all day only to come home and work another full day in my studio - there is nothing that makes me happier, and on the days I cannot create, I feel incomplete. As such, this leaves me up until the wee hours of the night (and I am not one that does well with incomplete paintings!), often coming to school the next day with bags under my eyes and paint marks decorating my hands due to the blur of getting ready in the morning. My students never fail to comment on it, and in many ways I am glad that they notice. It has given me the opportunity to discuss my passion with them, in hopes of encouraging them to follow their dreams. I fully support my student's desire for an education, but I want them to understand that life is more than that.

I am thankful that my painting has helped me not only tell them that they should find their life's calling, but to actually show them. In my heart I know this is what I am supposed to be doing, both teaching and painting, and I feel that my experience as an artist has not only helped me uncover who I am at the core, but has also helped me to be a better teacher as well. This time of my life is exciting, and even stressful at times, but I know I am finally listening to my inner being and in doing that, I am finally finding peace."

After emailing me the article above, Dianna sent me another email that I felt needed to be included in this post: "What a cool thing for me to sit and acknowledge my feelings in a way that I could put my thoughts into words. It has brightened my spirit and given me a new sense of courage. Thank you for your post. I can't say I would have taken the time to voice this otherwise. Regardless of whether or not I am chosen, I am glad that I came across your thread and wrote a response. "

You can visit Dianna's Etsy store here.

To read about more New Moon Artists please click here.