Lee Ward: 03/14/10 — Best life advice: get in there and participate » Columns

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March 10, 2010

Lee Ward: 03/14/10 — Best life advice: get in there and participate

Anonymous The Daily Independent Wed Mar 10, 2010, 09:28 AM EST

After four years of drawing lessons, I finally decided to get into an art show.

Actually, I had been in a couple of other shows, not counting the one in high school at which all I had to display was a terrible acrylic painting of a Neanderthal dragging his woman back to the cave. After seeing the background I painted, my teacher suggested that subject matter. I think he thought my background was so hideous, he decided I shouldn’t stop there — that I should have a hideous foreground, too.

But this show wasn’t for charity or for the heck of it. This wasn’t one that gave you a certificate of participation. This show involved monetary prizes and ribbons.

With no delusion that I might win a ribbon, I hauled myself to the show with four pencil drawings and the entry fee, ready for anything.

While it seemed like a big show to me, experienced artists who had been in the same show several times told me there weren’t as many participants. I’m thinking it was the weather because, although it turned out to be a clear day, we had had so many snowy days, you couldn’t count on having a good one that time.

Maybe it seemed like a big show to me because there were so many truly good pieces of art to see. I’m always surprised at how many professional artists live in the Tri-State and slightly beyond. I guess I forget we have many colleges and universities within an easy drive and they not only have professional artists in the form of professors, but they also are generating good artists every semester.

Many of the artists at the show, however, were entered in the amateur category, as I was. My teacher let us know it’s to our advantage is we haven’t been paid for our artwork because the amateur division is a little easier to compete in than the professional division.

Easier, sure, but not easy. After one look at the other amateur entries, I decided my pieces looked like the work of a mediocre grade-schooler.

Still, I wasn’t embarrassed. I liked what I drew and I’m proud of it because I did the best I could. But I know I have a long way to go before I could be considered a “contender,” if that ever happens.

Being in the show was a great experience because it wasn’t about winning, it was about participating and participating is the path to having a happy life.

LEE WARD can be reached at lward@dailyindependent.com or (606) 326-2661.

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Lee Ward: 03/14/10 — Best life advice: get in there and participate

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