Art is an amazing phenomenon; it can be interpreted in an infinite number of ways: disturbing, good, and depressing, but it also can be…erotic.

Around age five, I started to show some sort of artistic ability. I remember having a box of crayons that I used to draw colorful racetracks for my Hot Wheels all over the walls of the living room. They had all these different colors, shapes, and curves. As an artist, however, you will always have critics. Using the wall for a canvas wasn’t my mother’s favorite of my many artistic expressions. As a result, my crayons ended up in the garbage (she apologized a few years ago, by the way).

As an artist, you have to learn to accept criticism, and the difficulties that follow. For example, I remember in fifth grade, I just happened to find a Playboy magazine and, as a young and curious artist, I decided to get my sketchbook and make some renderings of the playmates.

I felt strongly inclined to draw these photos. I was impressed by their artistic poses with both partial and full nudity. One in particular was the Playmate of the Month Elisa Rebecca Bridges, from the December, 1994 issue. I was floored by how her body stood out from the background, the smooth tones of her skin, silky hair, her lips—everything. She looked so natural. Her facial expression was very natural, too, and my eyes could not resist. Thus, I was driven to trace every exotic line of her body—she was absolutely beautiful. It certainly triggered different kinds of emotions, but my main focus was to copy her image into my sketchbook.

I was astonished; I could not believe that looking at photos of naked people was okay. I knew it wasn’t for me at least, so I kept it in secret. I was proud of my work; I thought it was a masterpiece.

My mistake, however, was bringing it to school. During lunchtime, while I walked away to pick up my lunch of a hot dog and a banana, an interested classmate took my artwork out of the manila envelope I labeled “Homework.” I brought it to the cafeteria with me for security reasons, or so I thought. He got the blame first, but the fire really fell on me because, like all proud artists, I signed my work.

My dad didn’t find out for a few weeks. I kept sneakily intercepting phone calls and letters from my school. I was sent to detention in the meantime, but I was going to be suspended if he did not show up to school. He found out; I just told him he had to come to school to speak to the principal. I refused to tell him what had happened. The day finally came when my dad showed up to school, and it felt like my death sentence was near. I can remember my dad’s angry expression as he stared at the drawing of a naked female in the principal’s office; I could not help feeling like a worm in a chicken farm.

Disappointed, he punished me, and in the end I learned my lesson; I got so scared that I promised myself I would never draw a nude female again.

I kept my promise, until I found out that all great artists draw naked boobies. Paintings from the great masters—Michelangelo, Da Vinci, Picasso—they all created renderings of nude people and they all appreciated the artistic qualities of the human body.

I have enjoyed exploring the nude in an artistic form. Yes, I know most of you are thinking, “You’re so full of bull.” That’s what I thought too, but I realized as an artist that there is something very artistic in every type of body. I believe the human body is an artistic masterpiece and I could put as much passion into a distorted, wrinkled, or even dead body (yes, I drew cadavers from real life) because of their interesting lines and curves, as I would with a gorgeous Playboy-like female model. I have preferences, but who doesn’t?

Certainly, part of my passion is to get involved into an activity that requires a sort of artistic ability; it’s part of my life. There’s an artist in everyone. Everyone has some kind of talent. Putting that talent to work simply means doing something productive fueled by passion, and adding the extra ten percent to the final product.

Please enjoy this week’s Generation, filled with work created by such people.