Everywhere in the world, young people are discovering their artistic abilities and learning new ways to express themselves through drawing, painting, writing, or crafting, and Fateme Masoumi (age 10) is one of them.

The Iranian artist was very young when she first fell in love with the arts. In this article, we’ll look at Fateme Masoumi’s creative journey, sources of inspiration, and how she uses her artwork to uplift people’s spirits.

Fateme Masoumi’s Artistic Journey

Fateme discovered her love for the arts at the age of three, and she has been exploring her imagination through colors ever since, feeling that drawing and painting were the perfect way to express her thoughts and feelings. Her mother, who is also an artist, played an essential role in supporting her creativity, always providing Fateme with the needed drawing materials.

”I was very interested in drawing since I was 3 years old, and my mother always provided me with drawing materials and large pages on which I played with colors and filled most of my time with stories and “imaginations”. Painting was a very good way to express my imagination. I like drawing and painting because with them I can portray my imagination and I enjoy using colors and it gives me a high feeling,” recalls Fateme Masoumi.

When it comes to her preferred medium, Fateme enjoys using watercolors, colored pencils, and markers because ”they have many beautiful colors” and allow her to depict her imagination. However, she also likes to occasionally experiment with other mediums such as gouache, print, pastel, and collage to create her artwork. ”But I like the color more because I can convey my feelings much better,” she admits.

The Creative Process

Fateme Masoumi explains that her imagination is where her creative process begins.

She creates multiple sketches of the image she sees in her head as soon as it starts to take shape as her future painting. She then decides which one will allow her to fully express herself, and transfers it to the cardboard. Furthermore, she aims to use her paintings to tell stories by imagining vividly colored worlds. And as she paints, she imagines herself inside this beautiful world that she just created.

”When I want to paint, I think about my subject and make several sketches. Sometimes I write about it a little, and then I choose the best sketch I made and transfer it to the cardboard. I wonder then what material would be better for painting it. Sometimes I use watercolors, sometimes I use pastels, gouache, collages, or prints, and sometimes I even start sewing dolls from the character of my painting. I also tell a story for my painting. When I paint, it’s not like I’m dreaming. I imagine myself inside it and it feels real, as if I went inside my painting,” Fateme shares.

Finding Inspiration

Fateme finds inspiration from her mother and other artists, as well as from fictional books she reads. She exercises her imagination by regularly creating artwork and then writing stories based on those drawings. She even wrote and illustrated some books.

”My mother always encouraged me, and, because she is also an art teacher and successful artist, I always want to try to be like my mother. Then, I often see artworks of different artists, which helps me a lot in creativity and color recognition. I also find inspiration in the fictional books I read, or when I think about and imagine the characters in my stories and books. I regularly draw and, after drawing, I create an imaginary space from my drawing and write a story about it. All this helps me a lot in exploring my imagination,” Fateme Masoumi says.

Creating Art – The Highest Pleasure

Fateme Masoumi loves both the feeling of using colors and the sense of accomplishment after finishing a piece of art. Art offers her unique ways to uncover herself and her potential, as well as ”the highest pleasure.”

”After finishing my work of art, I am very happy and feel great pleasure. Art can give me the highest pleasure, both during its execution and after it is finished. I have not experienced this pleasure in any other work. And it’s always really unique to me. It’s like I put a part of my being on paper and I’m observing it,” Fateme confesses.

“Children Have Great Powers”

Fateme admits that obstacles did arise along her artistic path. When she tried to draw in a more realistic manner, she ran into problems. But she didn’t give up! ”The most difficult thing I wanted to draw was a face from a real model. I frequently drew, using even my face as a reference, while reading various textbooks.”

For young artists who are struggling to find their creative voice or receiving negative feedback, Fateme Masoumi advises them to ”always hope, try, read books, see paintings, and take help from good teachers”. She also encourages young artists to participate in various events and competitions to gain experience and build their confidence.

”I tell all my friends, if you can empower yourself in an artistic field, for example, music, painting, singing, etc., and because it relaxes you, you must exercise, read a book, and spend an hour in front of the mirror a day and talk about yourself. Think and talk about your goals with yourself as well. We children have great powers and we just have to believe in ourselves,” Fateme believes.

Keeping The Balance

Fateme Masoumi manages to strike a healthy balance between her artistic pursuits and her other endeavors as a member of several clubs and the International Children’s Museum. Because she feels energized when drawing, she also finds more drive and enjoyment in playing with her friends or sharing with them tips in drawing.

”I love to draw and it is really enjoyable for me and I have always painted with all my feelings. When I draw I find even more energy to play with my friends. Sometimes, if we all sit together and paint, it may happen to teach them one trick or two in drawing. And because I have a goal, I always send my paintings to various invitations, and most of them have been awarded and I was able to succeed,” Fateme says.

Fateme Masoumi’s Message of Friendship and Peace

Fateme feels that the power of art to spread joy and encourage optimism can’t be overstated.

”Art can have a great role in life and peace and happiness, and when I paint, I am very happy. It seems like I experience an infinite feeling of peace and that I can play a useful role with my art and present my creativity to my friends. To simply give,” Fateme Masoumi confesses.

She hopes that her artwork will evoke feelings of friendship and peace as well as the hope that one day “there will be no more war” and that everyone will value and care for the natural world.

”I like to show friendship and peace to children and society with my art, and I hope that the day will come when the world will be full of peace and there will be no war anywhere in the world and that we will be friends with nature and respect and take care of it,” Fateme Masoumi shares.

If you feel inspired by Fateme Masoumi’s story and want to find out more about her, I invite you to visit her Instagram account.

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