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While I had some interest in art when I was young, I had no interest in pursuing a formal art education or in pursuing art as a career. There were several majors I would have selected ahead of art. No one discouraged me about studying art; I just had other interests ahead of it.
I got my bachelor's degree in chemistry, and over the years I've gotten two master's degrees in other fields. I wound up working for most of my career in engineering, and worked as an engineer for 15 years before ever taking an engineering class.
For many years, the only art I did was some pencil drawings. I had not painted since painting with poster paints in high school. A friend of mine encouraged me to try painting, and in February of last year I painted my first oil painting. I found that I liked it a lot, and am now seriously interested in becoming a professional portrait painter.
I do not regret working in other fields, as I found them interesting and rewarding, and they satisfied other interests that I have had. For me, art and other fields are not an either/or, but rather a both/and situation; i.e. I want it all.
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