That odd moment when you say, “I’m an artist,” and everyone looks at you like you just said you could speak dolphin? That took place at my last family BBQ. Uncle Joe really laughed. I thought my cousin’s eyebrow would fly off because it was so high up. That would have been safer and less strange, I almost thought for a second – click here for helpful resources!

I didn’t give up, though. It was my most recent alcohol ink drawing that I took out. It got quiet in the room. People moved closer because they were interested in the crazy swirls of blue that crashed into bursts of pink and gold that sparkled. The colors seemed to have a life of their own and wanted to be seen.

Alcohol ink isn’t like other paints. It changes quickly—a drop runs, blooms, and changes shape right in front of your eyes. I thought I messed up a piece once when a violet streak went through a green pool by accident. Fear set in. But that streak was the star that everyone first looked up to.

Aunt Linda asked, “How do you even stay in charge of those shapes?” The real answer? You don’t really. It’s partly skill and mostly giving up. I’d wave a hairdryer over the paper to move the spots around, and sometimes I’d laugh when the ink went off-script. When you use alcohol ink, you don’t just paint; you also talk to it.

By the end, even Cousin Skeptic was smiling, and people who didn’t believe it were using words like “enchanting” and “vibrant” to describe it. The art spoke more clearly than I ever could.

Most people think that artists use charcoal and tools, but alcohol ink doesn’t follow those rules. In the best way, it’s crazy, loud, and messy. Make someone laugh the next time you say you’re an artist. Show them what bold creativity looks like on a piece of paper. Art needs to shout sometimes.