这首中英双语诗，是我个人学艺术的感受，以及陪女儿学艺术的心路历程。我深感从事艺术工作的艰辛，亦为身边一大批优秀的艺术前辈，艺术老师所作的付出而感动。容我以此诗感谢这些艺术家们，祝各位再创佳绩，桃李满天下！

Grow Up to Become an Artist
(By Janice Zhang; Nov 13, 2015)

I have a romantic heart,
And love all kinds of art.
Sometimes I daydream,
While staring at a computer screen.
The inside of me screams:
I – Want – To – Become – An – Artist!

When I was a little kid,
Mama asked what I wanted to be when I grew up.
“An Artist!”, I’d say while fairy tales came out from my pink lips.
She laughed while pinching my chubby cheeks,
“Sweetie, You can’t be an artist AND truly grow up”.
“Mama loves you but I don’t want to tell a lie”.
With a big shrug and a deep sigh,
I gave up my dream and dig my head into the IT-tide.
The inside of me screamed:
I – Wished – I – Could – Grow – Up –AND - Become – An – Artist!
 
Busy and tired from the boring work,
I stood up awaiting the end of the chores.
“Follow your heart”, A fairy whispered in my ears.
Followed by actions that spelled these words:
I – Work – Hard –To – Become – An – Artist!

Practice makes perfect,
This is what I always believe.
Exploring all kinds of art forms,
Mixing and matching them using common sense.
The inside of me screams:
I – Will – Become – An – Artist!

Pablo Picasso used to say:
“Every child is an artist”,
“The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up”.
One day, I asked my daughters:
“What do you want to be when you grow up?”
My younger one replied “An Artist!”
Holding her head close to my chest,
I made sure she heard from both my voice and my heart:
“Mama doesn’t want to tell a lie...This is really really hard...”
“I want you to be prepared, yet I...”
“I – Trust – You – Can – Grow – Up – AND – Become – An – Artist!”

长大当个艺术家
（张怡；2015-11-13）

我有一颗浪漫的心，
学各种艺术如西天取经。
有时我会对着电脑屏幕发呆，
在艺术的白日梦里翱翔。
我心深处，一个声音在高喊：
我 - 要 - 当 - 一 - 个 - 艺 - 术 - 家 ！

当我还是个孩子的时候，
妈妈问我长大想当什么。
“艺术家！”，我粉嫩的双唇飘出美好童话。
她笑了笑，捏了捏我胖嘟嘟的小脸蛋，
“好孩子，你不可能真正长大而又成为一个艺术家”，
“妈妈爱你，可我不想对你撒谎”。
耸了耸肩，又长叹了一声，
我放弃了最初的梦想，一头扎进了信息科技的洪潮。
我心深处，一个声音在高喊：
我 - 多 - 么 - 想 - 长 - 大 - 当 - 一 - 个 - 艺 - 术 -家 ！

繁复的工作既累又乏味，
我盼望改变人生轨迹。
“听随内心的呼唤”，一个仙子在我耳边呢喃。
接下来我用实在的行动，一笔一划写出这几个字：
我 - 正 - 努 - 力 - 成 - 为 - 一 - 个 - 艺 - 术 - 家！

相信熟能生巧，我不断地练习。
涉猎各种艺术，我将它们融会贯通。
我心深处，一个声音在高喊：
我 - 可 - 以 - 成 - 为 - 一 - 个 - 艺 - 术 - 家 ！

巴勃罗・毕加索说过：
“每个孩子天生都是一个艺术家，问题是长大后如何保持下去”。
有一天我问女儿们长大想当什么。
小女儿说“艺术家！”。
我把她搂入怀，确保她听见我的嘴和我的心在说：
“妈妈不想对你撒谎。这条路很难，很难。。。”，
“你需要有心理准备，但我相信。。。”，
“我 - 相 - 信 - 你 - 可 - 以 - 长 - 大 - 成 - 为 - 一 -个 - 艺 - 术 - 家 ！”

张怡于2016年秋天作客 WOW TV 加华视讯 《活在五点》节目，接受主持人刘丹的专访: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=whmQRY2Wq4I (因有些地区无法播放 Youtube, 作以下摘要。） 

主题：中英双语诗歌创作体会与新出版的书《艺术相伴移民路 ～ 张怡作品集》 

 主要内容： 

＊从孩子小学一年级开始在学校学写诗受到启发，开始陪孩子一起写英文诗，并参加华裔及主流诗歌创作人的活动与组织，进行中英文诗歌创作与交流。 

＊写诗抒发情感，与朋友分享，丰富业余生活，体会中西文化差异。 

＊受密西沙加市桂冠诗人，华裔的 Anna Yin 启发与指导，在中英双语诗歌创作的方向上努力。 

＊受多伦多女作家及文艺评论人 陈萍 的鼓励，将原创诗、文、国画、油画作品集结成书出版。 

＊朗读了一首中英双语诗《单纯如诗 Simple as a Poem》 

＊鼓励与我一样平凡的移民朋友们也可以进行诗歌创作，通过诗歌原创等艺术形式使移民生活更丰富多彩。