In the corner of my room, a blank canvas rests, collecting dust—a silent testament to a dream that never took flight. It’s more than just a piece of fabric stretched over a wooden frame; it’s a mirror reflecting a part of me that I had to abandon. Every speck of dust on its surface feels like a quiet protest, a reminder of the artist I once aspired to be, and the life I was told had no future.

I still remember the days in art college when my hands would move almost involuntarily, guided by a passion that felt as innate as breathing. My painting was selected for an exhibition—an achievement that should have filled me with pride. But instead, it marked the beginning of my disillusionment. I stood there, amidst the gallery’s walls, surrounded by the works of my peers—artists whose souls were bared on canvas, yet whose pockets were empty. They lived like legends, creating beauty that seemed destined to fade into obscurity.

two people standing in front of a painting

People came in droves, their footsteps echoing in the hall. But they didn’t see us, not really. They glanced at our works, their eyes sliding over the colors, the textures, the emotions painstakingly embedded in every stroke. They didn’t understand. They didn’t feel the connection we felt with our creations. And when it came time to buy, they hesitated, as if art was an extravagance they couldn’t justify.

That day, I realized the cruel irony of the world I had chosen. Art, so rich in emotion and expression, seemed valued only in words, not in the currency that could sustain a life. My family’s doubts echoed louder than ever, their fears of a future bound by financial struggle suddenly validated.

And so, the canvas remains empty, an unwelcome companion that reminds me of what I gave up. It sits there, a mute witness to my surrender, yet it also holds the promise of what could have been. Perhaps one day, I will pick up the brush again. But for now, it is a symbol of a path not taken, a life unlived, and the painful truth that sometimes, dreams are deferred not by lack of talent, but by the weight of reality.

Original Writeup – Blank Canvas!

In the dim light of my room, a blank canvas leans against the wall, a silent relic of a past ambition. It’s not just an ordinary piece of cloth stretched over a wooden frame—it’s a ghost, haunting the spaces where dreams once danced with possibility. The canvas has begun to gather dust, each speck a silent accusation, a reproach for the unfulfilled promises I made to myself. It is as if the canvas is staging a protest, embodying the voice of the artist I could have been, had the world not intervened.

There was a time when my hands itched to hold a brush, when colors were my language, and every blank surface was an invitation to create. In the sanctuary of my art college, I poured my soul onto canvases, each stroke a whisper of my inner world. The day my painting was selected for an exhibition was supposed to be a validation of all the passion and toil, a moment when the world would finally see me as I saw myself—a true artist.

But the exhibition was not what I had imagined. It was a space filled with the most profound contradictions—a celebration of beauty and creativity, and yet a testament to the world’s indifference. My fellow artists, whose works were imbued with the depth of their experiences and the richness of their imaginations, lived lives that were anything but celebrated. They were legends in their own right, yet their lives were marked by a kind of noble poverty—a relentless struggle to sustain themselves in a world that consumed their art without a second thought.

I remember standing amidst the throngs of visitors, watching as they drifted from one masterpiece to the next, their gazes cursory, their understanding shallow. They marveled at the colors and shapes, perhaps even paused to read a title or two, but I could see that they were untouched by the true essence of what lay before them. There was no connection, no recognition of the countless hours, the emotional turmoil, the sleepless nights that had gone into the creation of those works. They didn’t see the artists behind the art; they saw only objects, commodities to be admired from a distance but not invested in.

And then there were those who did pause, who seemed to feel something—anything—but they too, when faced with the prospect of purchase, recoiled. The art that was born from passion and sacrifice was reduced to a price tag, and in that reduction, its value was somehow diminished in their eyes. They left, taking nothing with them, leaving the artists’ hopes and aspirations to linger in the empty air.

That day, something within me cracked. The doubts that my family had voiced for years suddenly seemed justified. I had always been told that art was not a viable future, that a life devoted to painting would be a life spent in financial insecurity. And there, in that gallery, surrounded by the evidence of the world’s indifference, I saw the truth in their words. I saw the struggle, the sacrifice, and the heartbreaking reality that talent and passion alone were not enough.

So, the canvas in my room remains blank, its silence louder than any critique. It is a constant reminder of the artist I once wanted to be, and the life that I almost chose. But it is also more than that—it is a symbol of resignation, of the dreams that were deferred not out of lack of courage, but out of a painful confrontation with reality.

There is an intellect in that blankness, a kind of silent wisdom that speaks to the compromises we make, the dreams we set aside in the face of practicality. The canvas is a reflection of the struggle between idealism and the harsh truths of the world. It stands as a testament to a battle lost, not in a single moment, but in the slow erosion of hope, chipped away by the unrelenting tide of societal expectations and personal fears.

Perhaps one day, I will pick up the brush again. Perhaps one day, the canvas will be filled with the colors and forms that once lived only in my mind. But for now, it remains a witness to the path I did not take, a monument to the artist that might have been, and a poignant reminder of the delicate balance between dreams and reality. It is the story of many, encapsulated in a single, dusty, blank canvas.

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About Saleem Mir

Webmaster, Life Coach, Marketing Expert, Artist, Writer, Poet, Lab Scientist..God really blesses us all with Talents and we acquire Skills while we continue through Life.

What’s required of us is to be grateful to God, hone our skills and help each other. That’s What I try to do.

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