Put a Twist on What You Know

Many artists are too quick to proclaim that their artwork is made for themselves only. That is all they have in mind when they complete a piece. Yet, these same people constantly seek attention and praise for what they have done and posted on the Internet. I think that the intention of art is not only to express oneself, but to showcase an atmosphere, feeling, and such that others can relate to or find interesting. Not everyone will understand your work, not everyone will like it, but some will find connections to it. Just imagine: your work can reach someone.

Of course, it is not as simple a task as it seems. I have drawn original concepts, and characters owned by others. While I do not believe that my work has made no impact at all, it has more potential than I am currently conveying. The key is bringing it out.

I have contemplated what I could do. Perhaps it would be best to touch on personal issues, to enhance the feelings behind such efforts, yet the subject of those possible pieces of art fail me. So many emotions have been touched upon in art: happiness, anger, sadness. Then again, these are too general. Often we see an image of a child crying, or someone screaming in rage. In what way can I show an underrepresented emotion or experience, one that I myself have gone through, and showcase it in a way that others may understand?

It will not be easy. I have had a comfortable life, with little dramatic surprises along the way. Yet if I can list interesting things about myself and my thoughts, then maybe I can start to get an idea of what I should be doing. Even if these immediate thoughts do not work, they might inspire me to something better.
-I am a picky sleeper. Irritations such as moonlight, noise except for a fan, and my body's stubbornness keep me up at night. This is more relevant in my dorm, where a college campus is rarely quiet all the time. Yet I cannot help but be annoyed by it. It takes me about an hour to fall asleep each night, which is both good and bad. Good, for it allows me to think over creative issues without distractions, yet it keeps me up.
-I spend far too much time on the computer.
-Many speak of music being their life, and here I have been neglecting to play my piano for months (I have been quite busy).
-My archaeology teacher mentioned something very interesting in our last class. He mentioned that he did not want to make the class based around memorizing facts and then having us spout them back for a final. He claimed this was indocrination, not education.
-Learning archaeology and history of the sites at the time of early Christianity has gotten me more familiar with my faith.
-A few hours ago, I watched the ISS go by, while I discussed astronomy with my father. The science of astronomy and the night sky in general has always fascinated me. Many artists over the years have been influenced by it, and even now it still holds unspeakable beauty.
-I have gone over old writings from just 3 years ago, and I can see so much change in myself already.
-I wonder if people are drawn to cliches simply because it is what they are familiar with?
-The songs of today are so limited in their subjects. Love, hate, hopes, shattered dreams. I appreciate more variety than that.
-I fear that I will one day graduate from college and find no job.
-Now that my brother has become engaged, it almost seems as though I am supposed to find myself a significant other already, which irritates me. I am not ready for a relationship yet.
-My 21st birthday is coming in a day and I am not eager nor dreadful. So many are under the illusion that something forbidden must be excellent.
-I am becoming more interested in my ancestry. I would love to go back 1, maybe even 2 thousand years to see who my ancestors were. I am not expecting any familiar names, but I would still love to know.
-I wonder if my work will become recognizable.

This may have been a relatively good exercise for myself.

Passageway

There is an archway at one edge of my campus that I pass by on the way to my science class. I think the lighting, the location of it, how it looks, and the fact that I only see it at a quiet time of night strikes a chord with me. I suppose the idea of a passageway to leave the campus or not, what with the mysterious lighting makes it seem mystical, or just interesting.
I've imagined an image of myself with my backpack, walking past it and missing the opportunity to walk through it. That would be a fitting picture, because that is the feeling I have right now.