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
neeche die gaye paath ke aadhaar par, jab unhone painting shuru kii to vaktaa kitne saal kaa tha?

yahan praasangik paath he:

jab maine pehali baar 18 saal kii umr main painting main gambhirtha se janaa shuru kiya, to acrelic pehla madhyam tha jo maine kabhi koshish kii thi.main vastav main saste paints or bhayanak brush tak simit tha jo mujh par behate rahe, lekin maine iske madhyam se kaam kiya or paaya ki khud ko paint ke saath pyaar main gir gaya.
mujhe jis tarah se aap rangon ko parat kar sakate hai, paint ko chikna yaa banaavat, ujjwal, bold rang bana sakate hai, jis tarah se aap ise phenk sakate hai yaa ise drip kar sakate hai yaa iske saath print kar sakate hai yaa ise motaa or glopi rakh sakate hai or bas ise prishth par buund kar sakate hai.
main apane uni bedroom ke farsh ke farsh par ghanton tak baithta hum, jab main dukhi or painting or painting or painting ke dauraan digni filmon yaa lord of da rings ko doharaata tha.mere pehle ke adhikansh chitra sirf amoort the - rangon or banaavat ke saath khelnaa or paint ke liye upyog kiya janaa.lekin haal ke varshon main, jaisaa ki mere drawing kaushal behatar ho gaye hai, maine cartoon jaanwaron ke saath ek pyaara sa shrinkhalaa shuru kii he, lekin phir bhi un ujjwal, amoort, paint splators becoground ko rakhte hue maine ek dashak pehle painting shuru kar di thi.
user
vaktaa 18 saal ke the jab unhone painting shuru kii.
assistant
<|system|>
</s>
<|user|>
neeche die gaye paath ke aadhaar par, jab unhone painting shuru kii to vaktaa kitne saal kaa tha?

yahan praasangik paath he:

jab maine pehali baar 18 saal kii umr main painting main gambhirtha se janaa shuru kiya, to acrelic pehla madhyam tha jo maine kabhi koshish kii thi.main vastav main saste paints or bhayanak brush tak simit tha jo mujh par behate rahe, lekin maine iske madhyam se kaam kiya or paaya ki khud ko paint ke saath pyaar main gir gaya.
mujhe jis tarah se aap rangon ko parat kar sakate hai, paint ko chikna yaa banaavat, ujjwal, bold rang bana sakate hai, jis tarah se aap ise phenk sakate hai yaa ise drip kar sakate hai yaa iske saath print kar sakate hai yaa ise motaa or glopi rakh sakate hai or bas ise prishth par buund kar sakate hai.
main apane uni bedroom ke farsh ke farsh par ghanton tak baithta hum, jab main dukhi or painting or painting or painting ke dauraan digni filmon yaa lord of da rings ko doharaata tha.mere pehle ke adhikansh chitra sirf amoort the - rangon or banaavat ke saath khelnaa or paint ke liye upyog kiya janaa.lekin haal ke varshon main, jaisaa ki mere drawing kaushal behatar ho gaye hai, maine cartoon jaanwaron ke saath ek pyaara sa shrinkhalaa shuru kii he, lekin phir bhi un ujjwal, amoort, paint splators becoground ko rakhte hue maine ek dashak pehle painting shuru kar di thi.</s>
<|assistant|>
vaktaa 18 saal ke the jab unhone painting shuru kii.</s>
