Samantha Douglas has a love-hate relationship with art.
Emphasis on the love, assured the Grade 12 Dr. Frank J. Hayden Secondary School student.
Drawing since her early elementary years, she always pursued art as a hobby.
“I really enjoy creative expression outside of my writing,” said Douglas, 18, who also enjoys writing – specifically essays.
But the artist, whose drawings quickly draw a viewer in, is such a tough self-critic that she gave up her hobby when she wasn’t happy with the results. She compared herself to her peers and how the media portrays art.
“I’ve been a bit of a perfectionist; it really bothered me that I wasn’t keeping up,” the Burlington resident said. “ I’m probably my harshest critic.”
After some time off art, she decided to get back into it, and the results are amazing, insightful, soulful and playful pieces that make you want to see more. But more importantly, Douglas is happy with the final pieces.
“In Grade 11, I got back into it; instead of being the same as somebody else, I started doing what I wanted (to do),” she said. “When I was finishing high school I wanted to level up in terms of my drawing capabilities.
“I had to remember how fun it was as a kid, and why I did it in the first place,” she said.
For years in elementary school, she made comic books with one of her best friends. It was the perfect pastime, a combination of both her interests: writing and drawing.
“I wasn’t the best at the time,” she said, adding she was self-taught initially and was a French immersion student.
About to graduate, Douglas said she is considering selling her artwork on Instagram or elsewhere, perhaps opening some pop-up shops selling her art on stickers.
She added that her parents have encouraged her to pursue her art, share it and sell it. “I’ve always been too shy,” she said.
In the fall, she’s heading to University of Waterloo honours arts and business program, where she plans to major in creative and professional writing, eventually gravitating toward journalism.
“I enjoy writing basically anything, except business reports. I do not like that. I probably lost half my lifespan staying up to write that,” she laughed. “I think I enjoy writing essays the most. It used to be story writing, but I find that I end up pouring over what I’ve written, taking hours and I give up.”
She considers Out of Your Mind, “a short story that wasn’t really a story” her best piece. She calls it a metaphor for social anxiety.
She has some advice for other artists in the community: “Do not be so hard on yourself, draw for the sake of yourself. Because if you’re always comparing yourself to others that’s not right. There’s no bad art, it’s all different styles.
Find more of her work on Instagram @colour.parade
