I’ve heard things like, “you need to put yourself out there!” and “this is a new age for the art game”, amongst other things that sway me to begin consistently journaling. But, there is also something that holds me from talking too much about my work as well as my process. I’m not sure if it’s a level of mystery I try to hold on to, or some other fear of losing focus on the most important task at hand: my artwork. Maybe, I still lack confidence in what I write.

Am I doing the right thing? Will my art suffer from putting some attention on writing? Should I find someone to do this part for me? I revisit those questions on a daily basis. But, I think that they linger because I am not exploring it. Maybe these are some of my “what if’s” that I have to overcome. I suppose the only way to find out is to begin. I’m not sure if writing these entries are more for me, or for the individuals reading them, but it’s a nice thought that it could possibly help others on their journeys at the same time I’m walking mine.

I’ll start with this. I’m 36 years old. I’ve created for most of my life, for different reasons at different ages, and right now I am painting about the things I’ve felt so far. I’ll tell you more about it soon. Thanks for reading.

Rizaldy Celi Jr.

American Artist

Oakland, CA

@rizaldy.jr

Photo by Mark Chua