12/17/2025
Where this all started
I didn’t grow up thinking art was a career path.
I grew up noticing things.
One of my earliest memories is seeing sketches my mom did when she was younger. I remember being genuinely surprised. Not just that she could draw, but that someone close to me could create something like that. It planted a simple thought in my head early on: if she can do this, maybe I can too.
So I started drawing when I was about four or five. I didn’t overthink it. I just did it.
Later on, I took art classes, studied graphic design for a year, and spent time in schools where I slowly realized something. What came naturally to me didn’t come naturally to everyone else.
I always assumed everyone could do this. But over time, I saw that being able to see something and translate it into form instinctively wasn’t common. For me, it felt less like effort and more like listening.
I started selling art around 2014.
And honestly, it didn’t go well at first. There were failed attempts, wrong turns, and long stretches where nothing stuck. But failure never felt like a stop sign. It felt like feedback.
I grew up in a dysfunctional environment with obstacles from the very beginning, but I don’t believe that defines the work. What mattered more were the things I kept being drawn to. The quiet pull toward creating, even when it didn’t make sense on paper.
A lot of people gave me practical advice. Get a trade. Get a safe education. Follow the path that works where you are. I understand why. They were being realistic with the tools and experiences they had, and they didn’t know how to help someone chase something uncertain.
What they didn’t always see was that I was being realistic too. I just wasn’t willing to give up on the thing that felt like a calling.
There will always be obstacles. If that’s all they are, then I’ll keep moving through them.
Maybe it’s crazy to think this can work.
But I know one thing for sure. It definitely won’t work if I don’t try.
This page isn’t just about paintings.
It’s about persistence, intuition, and building something honest, one piece at a time.
Thanks for being here.
Tyler
Northern Creations Studio
www.northerncreationsstudio.com