The Unconventional Path to Becoming an Artist

Entering the arts from a background that—technically—was never attuned to the arts is a little like showing up to a gala in mismatched shoes. You can walk in, but you feel every stare.

So of course, I decided to do just that. Ever since, I’ve been wearing my mismatched pair in all events big and small. 😁

My entry was awkward—there’s no denying it—but this was mostly for the people staring. Not for me.

My pivot into science had come from learning to use both sides of my brain. Science rewarded certainty, logic, and reproducibility. Art was the messier side of me: intuition, ambiguity, and the courage to be misunderstood.

My first challenge in entering the art arena wasn’t skill. It was permission. Without an MFA, I assumed the art world to be a gated city I could only admire from the outside—waiting for some invisible committee to validate you. So I second-guessed myself and overcompensated along the way.

The second deterrent was language. In science, you’re judged by how well you can explain things. In art, some of the most powerful work is, by definition, inscrutable.

What helped me push through was simple: even as a self-taught artist, I’d put myself through a rigor that academic artists recognize instantly: anatomy, composition, aesthetics, practice, live models, critique.

However, little did I expect that my non-arts background would become an unfair advantage. Later, as I built TERAVARNA from the ground up, I understood. Artists everywhere share the same struggle, regardless of pedigree—visibility, confidence, and access.

So if you’re entering the art world from the outside, you’re not behind. You’re simply bringing a different toolkit—and you’ll be pleasantly surprised how often that’s exactly what the art world needs.