Art is something that extends beyond the confines of the mind, diving deep into a world of creative ebbs and flows that our human brains can still just barely comprehend. It’s an embodiment of all of the different feelings, experiences, and emotions that we can come to harbor inside our bodies, putting a physical representation to everything that we see, feel, and dream.
For one artist who is using pencil drawing as a way to process her grief, abuse, and PTSD, pencil drawing has been that safe place for Samantha Messias. Having been creating hyper-realistic pencil drawings for around 8-years now, Samantha has taught herself how to channel the darkness in her life into something positive and filled with light.
“Most people experience difficulty and challenges in their lives,” said Messias. “Life has shown me it’s dark sides, too, and things that I would not wish upon anyone. That’s why I developed my own affinity for art at a very young age: I needed it as my escape. I would use pencil and paper to communicate what had happened to me without speaking.”
The Release She Needed
Messias is referring to a childhood that involved her being removed from her parents at age 5 due to alcohol abuse, where her father and brother sexually abused her body. She was also neglected by her adopted mother, who cared more for her alcohol than she did for her child. By age 20, both of her biological parents had died, preceding the death of both of her adopted parents by the time she reached 22.
Needless to say, Messias spent years battling trauma, PTSD, depression, anxiety, and suicidal thoughts, wondering why she had been dealt such a terrible hand in life. In an effort to survive and carry on, Messias purchased personal development and self-help books, courses, and videos, and anything else she felt could help her escape her reality. None of it worked quite like drawing did.
“My will to survive and carry on is second to none, which is why my body continued to return back to my love of pencil drawing,” said Messias. “It was my light at my darkest moments, and for that, I will never want to do anything else but draw with my pencil and paper. I consider myself a strong, resilient, and courageous person today, and I want anyone reading this to know that no matter what has happened to you, there is always a way out.”
Once-in-a-Generation Artist
Messias has a unique and distinct style that has won her artistic adoration from around the world. She does not work to reproduce every exact detail, texture, and contrast from the reference material. Rather, she works to add something that wasn’t there before, intensifying and manipulating details, while awaking emotion, life and curiousity in the heart of the observer.
Messias concluded by stating that her art process allows her to focus on tiny details, section by section, so she can visualize the final image that is sought out by some of the top art curators in the world today.
For more information, or to work with Samantha, visit: https://www.samanthamessiasart.com/.
