Here’s a rewritten version of your statement for clarity and flow:
I was born in 1961 and grew up in Paisley with my parents and two older brothers, Jim and Robert. We were born just 16 months apart, so we were very close as kids. We lived in a one-bedroom flat on Seedhill Road next door to my gran, with an outside toilet in the tenement close. When I was four, just before starting school, we moved to a council flat in Foxbar. It felt like luxury: three bedrooms, a huge loft, an inside toilet, a separate kitchen, and incredible views. From our top-floor flat, we could see across Paisley, Glasgow Airport, the River Clyde, the Kilpatrick Hills and beyond. It was here that my real love for art began.
Here’s a rewritten version of your statement with a more fluid and engaging flow, while preserving the sentiment:
I guess you could say my brothers and I were born with a creative streak—our dad was naturally artistic, so it must run in the family.
From the moment I could hold a pencil, I started drawing. I would sketch movie stars from old Photoplay and Film Review magazines, and copy the dynamic comic art of Frank Frazetta and Boris Vallejo. In my teens, I was also captivated by the bold pulp illustrations of Robert McGinnis and the amazing sci-fi illustrations of Chris Foss. I can still picture my brother Robert and me sprawled on the bedroom floor, a jumble of pencils and felt-tips scattered between us, listening to movie soundtracks while we drew for hours on end.
Art was the only subject at school that really resonated with me. But my confidence took a knock because teachers were always comparing me to my brothers, who’d gone before. Back in the 70s, teachers could be so harsh. School was not a happy place for me.
Here’s a refined version of your statement that retains its personal feel while improving flow and readability:
I joined the Royal Navy at 17, and then life and work took over, causing art to take a back seat. Over the years, I occasionally painted portraits—Kate Bush and Olivia Newton-John for some shipmates—and a couple of murals, but for more than 30 years, I never really got back into it. It wasn’t until the COVID lockdown, when I injured my foot, that I finally had the time to start creating again. I painted David Bowie in acrylics on canvas, something I’d never tried before. That was it: I rediscovered my passion for art and got my mojo back. Now I’m pushing myself to use mediums I’d never explored before—acrylics, watercolours, mixed media, and water-mixable oils—and I’m loving every moment. I keep challenging myself, learning more with every brushstroke, pencil mark, or charcoal smudge. It feels like welcoming back an old friend.