Are you interested in drawing and painting? Then read the words of Renato Giordano, who has been an art lover since he was a kid and who is going to unveil for us the hidden benefits of colours, paper and a little creativity.

When did your passion for art start?
I have always had a bent for drawing and colouring, since I was a kid. As a boy I used to draw a lot in comic style: I used ink and pencils to create scenarios inhabited by war characters, horses, dragons and so on. All the technological tools we have today did not exist back then. Creativity and imagination were the only mean of escape. Then, when I had to enrol at high school, I opted for an Institute of Arts.

How long does it take you to complete a painting?
Usually a day or two.

Describe in one word the way you feel when you paint.
Well-being.

The beauty to be found in art – is it subjective or objective?
Beauty is harmony, it is supposed to raise our souls to a higher state and improve our well-being. Everybody who recognizes this beauty reacts emotionally to it in a very subjective way.

Can painting be therapeutic?
Of course it can. Jackson Pollock, the creator of action painting, proved that dipping brushes directly into colour cans and then splashing paint onto the surface can be extremely healthy and therapeutic for our minds and souls.

Pieces of advice for a young painter : how to reach fame in this domain.
The road to fame in the world of arts is paved with sacrifice and disappointment. Our country (Italy) is probably one of those with the biggest cultural and artistic heritage, but it does not allow young artists any room to grow and achieve what they want. I cannot give a specific piece of advice – the only thing I can say is that you have to believe in yourselves and never give up.

Which personal features do you deem essential to start a career in the arts?
An innate artistic sense and a sensitivity to nurture.

Do you think attending an Institute of Arts could be useful to an aspiring artist who is still learning the ropes?
There is always something new to learn about the techniques of painting, sculpting, movie making or photography, according to what we are interested in. A specialized institute gives you the necessary instruments to do so.

Could a person who is not particularly good at drawing but has originality on their side reach the spotlight in this domain?
Yes. What is important is being willing to express feelings without any kind of constraint.

What originates the need or urge to create something?
Since the very beginning, men have always wanted to leave a mark. That mark could be seen as a metaphor for the expansion of our inner world into the outer one, the blending between the two of them.
It has always been written in the DNA of mankind.

Renato Giordano is now 57 years old and has been working as an architect in Italy for many years. He started  devoting his time to art and painting when he was a kid … and he never stopped.