Though I've only been painting full time since December of 2007, I've often been caught saying "I was practically born with a crayon in my hand." It's true. Since I was a small child I was always drawing and colouring. When I was in my early teens I discovered that my mother was a good artist too, when she was young. My dad showed me two of her paintings, which I have now.

1. Good artists have long fingers.
2. Good artists have inborn Talent
3. It's Genetic

Inborn talent? Cézanne and VanGogh had a lot of learning to do. I wouldn't have considered either of them naturally talented when looking at their early works (when they were adults), and neither would you. And yet, they are two of the greats in the Impressionist style of art. They decided they wanted to become artists, learned from the best and kept on trying.

I don't have a great argument for or against genetics. There could be something in our DNA, but there also could be a lot of people and events in each of our lives that shaped our decisions and focus. The one thing we all do share, as human beings, is that we are human beings. For each of us, our first language is drawing. Simple figures that people can easily decipher. Tree. Mom. Teacher. Happy face. We found so much joy in drawing and colouring. It was fun!

What made us stop? Expectations grow as we grow. If our drawings aren't master pieces at some point, the critics who say "What's that supposed to be?" and "You're no artist" poo poo our joy into quitting. The same thing happens to artists who have already figured out how to draw well. They're told. "You'll be a starving artist," and "How can you support a family as an artist?" In this case it's not the strong that survive, it's the strong minded.

Do you remember our kindergarten scrawls - when we struggled to learn the letters of the alphabet? After years of practice, you could write so beautifully, making artistic loops and swirls with your y's and h's. (Some of us have unlearned that skill!) You signed with flourishes fit to be framed and displayed! If you could do that, why can't you draw? Stands to reason, doesn't it? The key to any craft is in the learning, and then in the regular practice of that craft. So, it's not talent that will make you an artist, it's practice. And, with guidance from an experienced artist, you'll get a huge leap forward.

So what are you waiting for? Let's have some fun! Let's draw! There is an artist inside of you, waiting to be discovered ... by you.

Anyone Can Draw One on One and Workshops! Each student gets this book worth $45. Suitable for Tweens, Teens & Adults. Click below to sign-up today. We're going to have a great time!

By Linda Laforge