Why become an artist?  I recall when I was a child and I received a paint by number gift set for Christmas.  It was the best gift ever.  I still recall it to this day.  The flow of the paints.  The vibrancy.  The sheer pleasure of watching it come to life.  Mind you it wasn't very imaginative, but it impressed me enough to stay with me for a lifetime.  Life took over and painting was put on the back burner for many years.  I did not take up panting again until my early forties.  My appetite to be an artist was reignited by a series of courses taken while I was living as an expat overseas.  I took up calligraphy, bookmaking, and marbling.  Returning to Canada offered me the opportunity to stay in one place and focus on what it was that I wanted to do, and become, as opposed to my main goal being to support my husband in his career.  I quickly chose to become and artist - a landscape artist.   Mind you I still had responsibilities, like raising children, and putting food on the table, but now I could focus a bit more on what it is that I wanted to become as a person.  Have a great day.