Are You Hiding Your Light Under a Bushel?

IF ANYONE has been paying attention, you would have noticed that my blog posts has transitioned from written to pictorial work.  At first, I was not sure if consecutive pictorial blogs would affect the flow or consistency of the site. Actually...I was sure but I decided to do it anyways, mainly for two reasons: (1) It is my blog, and I can do whatever I want and (2) The title of this blog is “Randomitis: Randomness at its best”…so any transitions I make should be perfectly acceptable considering the concept of the blog.

Why the transition you may ask? Well here is the thing, I have always wanted to pursue something in the arts but I didn’t have the cojones to do so. For a while, I was not very open about my work because I wasn’t sure what to do with it and I didn't know if the real world would consider it art. I drew my very first “doodle-collage” over a decade ago. I have included the image in this blog post. The actual image is slightly larger than a 14”×17” sketch paper. One day I took it to work to make a photocopy and one of my co-workers, a 65(ish) year-old countryman from Texas, stared at it then jokingly said, “You know we do have a therapist on sight.” He found his own comment very funny and so did I.

 Without any formal art training, I have decided to grow some and test out what I can do with this innate skill. This personal challenge is very exciting and I am curious to see where it takes me. As I approach this uncharted territory, I am not afraid! I have laid a foundation for myself and it is the right time. The first thing I did was research local art galleries and websites to see what people were putting out. Just about anything goes in the art world, that’s what I really like about art. Yet, it’s such a challenging realm because it is so subjective. During one of my searches, I came across a webpage about artists and their artwork. I liked the blog, so I contacted the publisher to see if she was interested in doodles. This is the first time I have reached out to anyone outside of my social circle about my own drawings. Fortunately, she liked my doodles so she posted a written piece about my work. Here is a link to the blog post - http://mysteriousmuse.com/discover-my-art-ifeanyi-onyejekwe/ The journey doesn’t feel so bad when people provide positive input.  

While completing my PhD late last year, a friend sent me a picture of the Sharpie Lamborghini Gallardo, I think I saw the silver lining, a glimmer of hope, light under the tunnel, whatever you want to call it. I thought to myself, “I can do this!!!” Audi, if you are reading this, give me a sharpie and a week. I promise I won’t hijack the Lambo. I will return nothing but pure black and white insanity!! There has got to be a place for this “doodle thing” I have embraced as art.

Someone asked me the other day if I felt accomplished. My answer, without a doubt, is no, I am not accomplished, I am accomplishing. I have not achieved, I am achieving. The next question was, what would it take for me to feel accomplished? My answer was, I don’t know yet, I am still finding my purpose. If doing work in the art field is part of my purpose, then I am finally on track, if not then it is part of the journey. I love my current day job and I will not be quitting anytime soon. Obviously, I’m not an idiot. But one day, just one very blessed day, my mindless doodles will find a niche, and it will make my blazer-pockets brick-heavy. With that said, success to me is not just about money, labels and perception. Sustaining happiness and a peace of mind are a big part of my goals. No achievement is worth having if those two things are not in place.

If you had to pose the same questions to yourself,

Do you feel accomplished?

Do you feel successful?

Are you following your passion?

If your answer is no to any of these questions, you have to ask yourself why?

Following one’s passion is easier said than done. Dealing with judgment, scrutiny or failure is much harder for anything one feels passionate about but it is much worse to not have tried. “Hiding your light under a bushel” is a phrase (originally from the bible) which means to conceal or hide a talent out of shyness or fear. Are you hiding your light under a bushel? If so, STOP IT!