Art.

When a person mentions “art” or that they are an “artist”, many people have varying reactions.  Some wonder how this “artist” actually makes a living.  Or, some may believe that being an “artist” isn’t really a job.  “Get a ‘real’ job” one may hear from time to time in their lives, especially if they identify as being an “artist.” Others may marvel at the simplicity of a life of creation.  Some, like me, harbor a secret jealousy of also wanting to be creative but not believing I can be creative.  (I mean, have you ever seen my sketches?)  My post for this month is really what is meant when we say we love art, or that we are an artist, or, dare I even say it?

“I’m a ‘creative’. I’m an ‘artist’.

There. I said it.  I’m an artist and a creative.  I just cannot draw. Or paint. Or, sculpt.  Hmmm.  Another more positive way of putting this is that my creations just don’t capture what I see in my mind.  You see, my hands just don’t seem to “see” my creations in the same way as my brain  because my hands really don’t execute the vision all too well.   My hands are very solid and have served my utilitarian needs quite well, of which I’m extremely thankful.  They have not, however, been able to interpret just what my mind’s eye sees to be able to create the masterpieces I dream of.  It all ends up in a mess on whatever I’m painting/drawing/sculpting…you name it.  (It seems to all end up being ashtrays.)  My hands just don’t really keep up with my mind’s eye of what I see.

I’m aware that reknowned artists had to also start somewhere.  I’m sure their early works may have resembled some of my early works, too.  They just kept being persistent in honing their skills whereas I just gave up, out of frustration.  What drove these artists – painters, sculpters, mixed media professionals – to continue?  How did they know they could achieve what was in their mind’s eye when the result differed? I think passion plays a part of an artist’s focus.  Determination, too.  The feeling of seeing your work expressed through your own eyes? Yes, check. These all amount to feelings, don’t they? Like an artist must feel their work, feel it bubble within them, on a basic cellular level.  I just did not have these feelings for my own art as I was way too self-judgmental, a handy trait to have in business but not necessarily for a creative person.  I think my mindset was more of a “Why let other’s beat you up when you are doing such a fine job of the task?”  This is what art does – it creates an introspection of feeling and expression.  Those feelings are what the art evokes and is why we all appreciate art because it makes us all feel….something.

I realized, too, that an artist is one who feels, and expresses this feeling through a concrete medium.  Hmm. Another thought I had is that one can call themselves anything, can’t they?  These are just labels that we’ve assigned to short-cut the mundane.  If I really wanted to, I could call myself a brain surgeon.  I would not be a very good brain surgeon, however, because I lacked the schooling and experience, and (let’s hope) I would not get hired by any medical establishment without this expereince.  I can label myself as an astronaut who just hasn’t left the Earth except for some United Airlines flights across country.  You see what I mean? If I label myself as something, I can adapt to that behavior.  So, what happens when I’ve labeled myself as stupid or inept?  These types of labels can be so ingrained that you may not even realized you’ve created and perpetuated these labels in simple ways, like forgetting to put your clothes in the dryer or making a driving mistake.  These common occurences can result in an increase in our mental chatter that reinforces beliefs we don’t even know we had.

I’m a ‘creative’.  I’m an ‘artist’.

Many times, these labels are so ingrained that they cease to be a cognizant thought; it just is.  I realized that I love to write as a form of self-expression, and am beginning to journal as a daily mental resetting of my emotions.  Creating beauty in my writing by sharing a feeling or fact or perception is art.  Poetry is art in the written word.  I’ve taken to writing poetry during extremely stressful times as a way of channeling my energy and processing my feelings.  When my father died suddenly, I began a deeply personal journal of writing poetry as a cathartic exercise to help me process my grief.  The experience was so overwhelmingingly human that I has helped me thrive while also expressing all of these feelings out of my body…and into the ether.  At the same time, I was trying to handle a failing personal relationship.  In a deeply personal moment, I read my poetry to my father’s body giving him a piece of me to take with him on his new journey, and I included my poetry in his casket for cremation, like a piece of my heart is always with him.  And, THAT, is what art is: A piece of one’s heart.

When we think of art as self-expression, removing art from the classroom really takes on a new perspective, doesn’t it?  If we don’t allow our children their own freedom of self-expression in the classroom, how to we allow them the grace of failure, of learning that it is safe to express yourself creatively, that the world is a tolerant place….oh….yeah.  I remember that this is changing, too.

Have you noticed that the world is becoming much more judgmental as we become more familiar with each other using tools like the internet and social media?  This can impact the safe space each of us, as human beings, deserve to be creative.  Some of us (like me) must wait until mid-life before we feel safe in our own self-expression – or once you’ve taken the time to push past barriers that you created in your youth to come into your own passions.  Many times, we see ourselves as having “jobs” as humans.  No, not always a job-job, but we may see our roles in society very differently depending on our experience.  It is the labeling that creates divisiveness and actually further divides humanity.

I am a ‘creative’. I am an ‘artist’.

In my personal evolution as an artist, I failed to consider that my ability to type 80 words a minute as an author is a key skill that some cannot do.  My expression is just how my hands type these words, and how creative I can be with my formatting, use of media, and how my messaging is received.  As an artist, however, the actual understanding of my art is outside of my control.  The beauty of any art is that it is appreciated by others who may have had a similar journey.  It is the appreciation of art that is key to life because, folks, art is life.  I’ve never met a happy older person who spent their whole lives working for someone else in a job they hated.  I have, however, met a lot of happier older people who consider themselves creative.  So, after five decades on this planet, I’m considering myself as a creative person.

I’m creative.  I’m an artist. (No more quotes. Just me.)

That’s all there is.  Now that I’ve assessed these new labels to myself to wear for a while, I wonder how this feeling of self-belief and self-acceptance will feel in my daily life.  How will my daily work impact my art? Everything impacts everything and, friends, don’t ever forget that your own perspective impacts everything, even your own labeling.  Check out this very interesting TedTalk from Professor John Shaw (check out his bio on YouTube!) on labeling of people.  Use this knowledge to your advantage.  Be the artist (or doctor or lawyer or chef or janitor) and create a life for yourself that expresses who you are…or who’d you like to be.

Take a moment, in the now, to do one things towards that goal, like writing a blog post.  Peace.