I struggled creatively throughout the pandemic. This isn’t a revelation. It’s a confession.

Those who follow this blog or my social media may recall posts explaining how hard it was for me to pick up a paintbrush. It began with the lockdown, but the feeling persisted. I had to reinvent myself as an artistic individual and, to a degree, it worked.

In a strange turn of events, my inability to paint resulted in one of my most creative periods. You may recall that I devoted a large amount of time to recreating and photographing art historical and pop culture parodies known as #CovidClassics. I also started The Wandering Art Historian YouTube channel with dozens of “edutainment” style videos anyone can access for free. I wasn’t painting, but I was productive and creative in other mediums.

Throughout all this productivity, one question haunted me… who was I as an artist? Of course, that question leads to a myriad of questions concerning the artmaking process but the one I was really focused on was… what does an authentic Adrienne H. Lee piece of art look like?

When a creative person starts down that rabbit hole, it’s not long before imposter syndrome sets in, and I question if I am an artist at all. How did I get away with fooling people – and myself – for so long?

While I was questioning what it meant to be an artist, I dabbled in intuitive painting, and it helped a bit. Still, I kept coming back to the concept of authenticity. I’ve given dozens of lectures over the years and taught a bunch of classes about artists who changed the direction of the art world or who changed the way in which we see and experience art. I have researched, studied, and talked about artists practicing authenticity in their work, but as an artist myself, had I ever done the same?

If necessity is the mother of invention, then authenticity is the mother of reinvention. It was time to reinvent myself again and in 2021, I set out on a journey toward artistic authenticity. I decided I would create a piece of art that was wholly authentic – no one else on the planet could create this piece of art but me. I felt the need to act with urgency. If I didn’t do it now, I might never do it. Worse yet, I might talk myself out of doing it. Could I live with myself if I passed up the chance to create one piece of truly authentic art?

I knew the road to an authentic piece of art would be long and arduous. I also knew it would require me to be utterly vulnerable if I was to create something entirely genuine. I realized early in the process that to create this authentic piece of art, I would (once again) need to learn a new medium, so I did.

It has been a challenging adventure, and now, more than two and a half years later, I am ready to share this artwork with you. I have never been more sure about a piece of art in my life. This thing that I am about to unleash upon the world is truly me, a genuine Adrienne H. Lee original. I have done what I set out to do and now I want to share it with you.

Thank you for your patience with me.

Some people wish for a fairytale ending. For me, the fairy tale is only the beginning.

Watch this…