When I was 8-9, I was preparing to transfer to a school of arts, the best in the area (county), where I could quit both my regular and music schools and have all regular, but also art and music lessons there, for 8-9 hours a day, 6 days a week.

I did lots of drawing exercises: repetitive movements to make perfectly even strokes on paper - lines, ovals of all shapes, some curves. I was filing up sketchbooks with this, several pages a day for each figure.

I still feel the impact of that in my drawing: it increased the level of control of myy brain over the fine movements of my hands, and made many aspects of drawing effortless.

As soon as the school formally accepted me, it became sure my parents are living the country for years, and I was planned to stay with my maternal grandparents in another city. Then that was changed too: I was going away with them - no great school for me.

I was sharply unhappy for a while, because I felt forced to live all my live behind - my friends, my piano, and all the new opportunities.