I started painting in college. I originally wanted to do some kind of art major but with my vast and varying interests, I majored in theology and philosophy and I got two minors one in secondary education and the other in art with an emphasis on painting instead. My art minor served me well in not only my personal life but also as a teacher who was required to teach one elective in addition to my content area (I ended up teaching three electives: two sections of painting and drawing and one section of culinary arts).
Painting has always been a love of mine and with actual painting classes in college, I became fairly competent in the art form (although I have lots of room for improvement). After three years of teaching painting and drawing and with more and more right brain challenged students (I think they really just wanted an easy A instead of learning how to paint and draw), my desire to do art specifically painting diminished to nothing. I had not painted anything for myself outside of the classroom in three years! I had at least two paintings that I started and never finished due to lack of time, energy, and artistic motivation.
That all changed when we found out that we are having a girl. I had decided on a theme of sorts for a girl during my first pregnancy: ballet. Now that we are actually having a girl, I have not only the inspiration but the motivation to paint again. I started a semi abstracted painting of a ballerina a few days ago. Since I never actually made any art work for our son (and since his love of musical instruments especially guitar has become apparent), I started an abstract painting of a guitar for him too!