​How to Be an Artist, According to Samantha da Silva

Lesson #1: Begin where you are, with what you have

Lesson #2: Make art about your life

Lesson #3: Find inspiration in all of nature, including decay

Lesson #4: Revisit the same themes over and over again (but also keep experimenting) 

Lesson #5: Devote your life to making art, never stop

Lesson #1: Begin where you are, with what you have

Many people have the notion that in order to make art, everything must be ideal in order to begin. I believe this is a huge stumbling block and completely unnecessary. In my experience, if you truly want to paint, you will find a way no matter what the circumstances.

Over the years, my studio has encompassed: a furnace room, a bathroom, a balcony, a deck, a backyard, a picnic table in a park, and even a firescape. Were these fun, comfortable, convenient places to paint in? Not always. But did I make the best of my situation and paint no matter what? Absolutely. 

For me, there is a great sense of honour and responsibility in being an artist, and I delight in the fact that painting is a part of my life no matter where I am in the world or what my circumstances might be.

Waiting to be an artist until you have the perfect studio, tools, encouragement or knowledge, are not only terrible excuses, they are lies that keep you stuck.

The universe loves movement! Begin today to move in the direction of your dreams. Your kitchen table, countertop, garage, or a park bench awaits. 

Lesson #2: Make art about your life

Art is not about art. Art is about life. Nothing exists in a vacuum.

I recall the advice of a well meaning college professor:

"Should I include a picture of me on my artist website?" I asked.

She answered by posing the following question: "Is your art about you or is it about the art?" 

I thought for a moment and answered: "Aren't they the same thing?"

I got the feeling my professor did not think so. 

For me, my art and myself have no separation. We are one and the same. For this reason, I believe we paint who we are. The canvas is my mirror. My thoughts, experiences and attitudes are reflected back to me on the canvas.

Knowing this, I infuse myself into my work entirely, without reservation. The canvas is a stage where I can be free.

My relationship with the canvas is symbiotic: The more I give to my art, the more it gives back. The more I withhold (as a result of fear or a lack of trust) the more my canvas responds in turn.

As a result of digging deep, peeling back the layers, aligning myself with source, and rejecting traditional painting techniques and attitudes, I was inspired to create a painting style that feels unique and personal to me:

• No easels
• No paint brushes
• No color wheels
• No preconceived ideas

​Painting is an invitation to know yourself more deeply. How do you choose to tell your story?

Lesson #3: Find inspiration in all of nature, including decay

Landscapes and beach scenes are pretty, but don't be afraid to explore the darker, more obscure sides of Mother Nature. Creation and destruction are a beautiful yin-yang.

When I began painting, I stopped to consider the things that inspired me. At the time when Pinterest was just getting started, my Pinterest boards consisted of: abandoned, dilapidated buildings, peeling paint and rust. 

I realized that my love for antique, distressed, decaying surfaces could translate to the canvas surface. 

I began to experiment by exposing my canvases to the elements, distressing them with scouring pads and household chemicals, even burying them for an entire year.

I also noticed how much I loved ripped jeans and clothing, so I began tearing holes on my canvases as well.

The results were extremely satisfying, and I incorporate a majority of these practices into my work to this day. 

The thought of introducing my distressed canvas surfaces into an ultra modern interior - ripe with stainless steel and concrete - fills me with excitement. I delight in the juxtaposition. 

Lesson #4: Revisit the same themes over and over again (but also keep experimenting) ​

Having travelled extensively and acquired (nearly) three citizenships, my work focuses on the idea of home, belonging and the inexorable passage of time. 

If home is where the heart is, then by its simplest definition, home is where we are. 

Infusing my environment into my canvasses has been a predominant theme in my work for the past 13 years: 

Newspapers in New York City, cigarette butts in Paris, red, iron-rich Utah dirt in Salt Lake City, volcanic sand and Hawaiian rain water on the Islands, and exposing my canvasses to freezing cold temperatures (including burying them) in Canada.

Don't get me wrong, I love the art store as much as the next woman, but the art store is not the only place to shop for art supplies. 

Looking back, mother's kitchen was my first art store. This was my "incubator" so to speak - a place where I felt free to experiment using non traditional painting tools and making my own texture mediums including spices, grains, seeds, food coloring and cleaning supplies on the canvas. Some of these experiments were successful, others forced the entire family to run out of the house as a result of the toxic fumes I had created with my concoctions. It was during this time the famous "Cinnamon Painting" was born - a canvas I poured so much cinnamon into that it smelled like cinnamon for 2 years!

There is no "must" in art because art is free. This directive continues to shape my artistic journey to this day.

Lesson #5: Devote your life to making art, never stop

What is your definition of success? The definition I came up with in 2008 still stands true: To be a happy, successful, extremely well-fed, full-time artist. 

By eliminating all non-essential distractions in my life (a full-time job I did not enjoy and a trying relationship that left me feeling drained and empty), I was able to explore my creative practice deeply, with all of my focus, energy and intent.

Not everyone has the courage, desire or the opportunity to to quit their job and become a full-time artist. However, it wasn't until I changed my life to make art full-time that my creativity was supercharged.

Like moves in cycles. The artist's journey ebbs and flows. Periods of doubt and fear are followed by periods of flow, trust and divinely inspired co-creation. Learn to adapt and flow with those cycles. Never stop making art that matters to you.