This month’s Artist of the Month is Holly Smith, a senior. Though she mostly sticks to drawing on paper, the images she creates have meaning that is far from two-dimensional. To find out what she thinks art really is, I asked her a few questions.

When did you start drawing?

“In kindergarten. I won my first art contest when I was in first grade for the Eagan police station.”

What did you draw?

“My grandpa was an officer. I think I drew his cop car.”

What do you think art is all about?

“Oh, man, that’s a loaded question. Self-expression,  probably.”

Is that why you enjoy doing art?

“Yeah. It’s relaxing. But also incredibly stressful at the same time.”

Do you have any advice for beginning artists or people who are just starting out?

“You’re gonna mess up and you’re gonna probably be really frustrated. It’s like anything else: you have to practice it if you’re gonna get good at it. It’s like a sport, but no physical activity.”

So it’s more of a skill to you, not something you’re born with?

“The fact that you enjoy it is probably something you can’t really help, so that’s something you’re born with, maybe. But being good; you actually have to practice a lot.”

So anybody can be an artist?

“Yeah. But you gotta put in a lot of time.”