Why I want to work as a forensic artist

I wrote previously about why I think I am well-suited to become a forensic artist. I realized I should write about why I want to work as a forensic artist. It's not enough to have drawing skill and the right temperament for it, although those are certainly important factors. But motivation is also key.

I am motivated to do this because I would love to help heal a hole in a family - when someone is missing and a drawing needs to be made from remains. Sometimes the remains will include jewelry or other objects that could help identify the person. If my ability can help someone solve the mystery of a loved one's disappearance and help them get closure, that would be a blessing.

The word 'closure' is used casually, but I can just imagine the daily torture it is for someone to wonder what happened, and to not know. If you know your loved one is dead, you can start dealing with it. Being stuck in limbo would be like some kind of purgatory to me.

I am motivated because as a mom of 4 kids, I would like to see my community be a safer place. I want rapists to be in jail so the victim doesn't have to worry any more about him coming back. I want him in jail so he doesn't hurt anyone else.

I want to help put a face to a criminal. A vague description of a medium build guy just doesn't do it. Even a Polaroid picture of my artwork would help a detective when he or she canvasses a neighborhood to see if anyone recognizes the individual.

Everything I've researched so far shows that an artist's rendering gets better results than computer generated art. I think computer generated art is perhaps too cookie-cutter. I'm not afraid of the computer though, I'd love to use it as an extra tool, and I often wonder if using a computer tablet and stylus might be a good way to do some of the sketches.

Finally, but probably most importantly to me personally, I feel that God gave me this talent for a reason. I think it was partially so I could use it to help support my family, but I often feel that there is a bigger reason. I don't think I am the greatest artist in the world -- believe me, I have seen some fantastic artists! But I think that my life and work experiences, combined with my art talent, are there for a reason.