Based on the text below, how old was the speaker when they started painting?

Here is the relevant text:

When I first started to seriously get into painting when I was 18, acrylics were the first medium I ever tried. I was pretty limited to really cheap paints and awful brushes that kept shedding on me but I worked through it and found myself absolutely falling in love with the paint. 
I love the way you can layer colours, make the paint smooth or textured, the bright, bold colours, the way you can throw it or drip it or print with it or keep it thick and gloopy and just blob it on the page.
I’d sit for hours on the floor of my uni bedroom floors watching Disney films or Lord of the Rings on repeat when I was sad and painting and painting and painting. Most of my earlier paintings were just abstract - playing with colours and textures and getting used to the paint. But in more recent years, as my drawing skills have got better, I’ve started a cute little series with cartoon animals but still keeping those bright, abstract, paint splatters backgrounds I started painting a decade ago. 
system
Based on the text below, how old was the speaker when they started painting?

Here is the relevant text:

When I first started to seriously get into painting when I was 18, acrylics were the first medium I ever tried. I was pretty limited to really cheap paints and awful brushes that kept shedding on me but I worked through it and found myself absolutely falling in love with the paint. 
I love the way you can layer colours, make the paint smooth or textured, the bright, bold colours, the way you can throw it or drip it or print with it or keep it thick and gloopy and just blob it on the page.
I’d sit for hours on the floor of my uni bedroom floors watching Disney films or Lord of the Rings on repeat when I was sad and painting and painting and painting. Most of my earlier paintings were just abstract - playing with colours and textures and getting used to the paint. But in more recent years, as my drawing skills have got better, I’ve started a cute little series with cartoon animals but still keeping those bright, abstract, paint splatters backgrounds I started painting a decade ago. 
user
The speaker was 18 when they started painting.
assistant
<|system|>
</s>
<|user|>
Based on the text below, how old was the speaker when they started painting?

Here is the relevant text:

When I first started to seriously get into painting when I was 18, acrylics were the first medium I ever tried. I was pretty limited to really cheap paints and awful brushes that kept shedding on me but I worked through it and found myself absolutely falling in love with the paint. 
I love the way you can layer colours, make the paint smooth or textured, the bright, bold colours, the way you can throw it or drip it or print with it or keep it thick and gloopy and just blob it on the page.
I’d sit for hours on the floor of my uni bedroom floors watching Disney films or Lord of the Rings on repeat when I was sad and painting and painting and painting. Most of my earlier paintings were just abstract - playing with colours and textures and getting used to the paint. But in more recent years, as my drawing skills have got better, I’ve started a cute little series with cartoon animals but still keeping those bright, abstract, paint splatters backgrounds I started painting a decade ago. </s>
<|assistant|>
The speaker was 18 when they started painting.</s>
