Every human has a need in some way to release from inside that extra energy, thoughts, ideas, emotions.... to explain his/her existence as an individual. We are born to do it one way or the other.... or in many ways at once (lucky are those).
When it comes to art, there are many forms to choose from to express oneself.
Craving to make some art? Is there a drive in you that makes you think of creating something each morning you wake up? You even chop your salad and arrange it in a peculiar way :) Do you keep looking around your house all the time trying to find materials for your always incoming ideas and wishing you have 48h per day? Do you wish to make this and that, try all possible materials and techniques to make your imagination live? Do you have a feeling like you are married to art, bound to share all ups and downs, in sickness and in health to be there for each other? Did it ever save you from your illness, healed your wounds and helped you get up on your feet again? Did you ever struggle to keep your art alive?
If answer to all or most of these is "YES" then you are really an addict of art.
I know I do all that. God knows how many times I put away all my tools and boxes and everything connected to my work as an artist, but..... I can't put away myself! It lives in me. I tried several times during last two years to "quit", but.... I can't quit who I am. I live art, and art lives in me! Without art I wither like a flower without sun and water.
Life can be brutal and insensitive most of the time, but heart conquers all. Some things that live in our heart should be banned, but some things should be cherished, nurtured and used regularly or we die emotionally and spiritually.
Being a true artist is not a commitment, but a way of life.
A way of life is an every day living routine with many goals to be reached. One goal being extremely important. Creating true art. You might ask: what is TRUE art? If you want the answer, then look around.
How many times have you been in awe by the sky painted with colors in motion; stood on the edge of a cliff watching the waves splashing against the rocks and feel a bit overwhelmed by their uncontrollable force; smelled a scent or heard a sound of nature that has moved your heart and mind into another dimension ... all the beautiful creations of God leave us breathless in many ways with the same intensity each time we pay attention to them.
The essence of true art is to create emotion of same intensity in an observer each time that person looks at one piece or an evolved emotion with a much deeper sense and understanding of that art piece each time.
This goal is actually just a result of opening your heart and letting IT shape your pieces and the most powerful tool is LOVE. Grow in it and your art will grow with it.
When it comes to art, there are many forms to choose from to express oneself.
Craving to make some art? Is there a drive in you that makes you think of creating something each morning you wake up? You even chop your salad and arrange it in a peculiar way :) Do you keep looking around your house all the time trying to find materials for your always incoming ideas and wishing you have 48h per day? Do you wish to make this and that, try all possible materials and techniques to make your imagination live? Do you have a feeling like you are married to art, bound to share all ups and downs, in sickness and in health to be there for each other? Did it ever save you from your illness, healed your wounds and helped you get up on your feet again? Did you ever struggle to keep your art alive?
If answer to all or most of these is "YES" then you are really an addict of art.
I know I do all that. God knows how many times I put away all my tools and boxes and everything connected to my work as an artist, but..... I can't put away myself! It lives in me. I tried several times during last two years to "quit", but.... I can't quit who I am. I live art, and art lives in me! Without art I wither like a flower without sun and water.
Life can be brutal and insensitive most of the time, but heart conquers all. Some things that live in our heart should be banned, but some things should be cherished, nurtured and used regularly or we die emotionally and spiritually.
Being a true artist is not a commitment, but a way of life.
A way of life is an every day living routine with many goals to be reached. One goal being extremely important. Creating true art. You might ask: what is TRUE art? If you want the answer, then look around.
How many times have you been in awe by the sky painted with colors in motion; stood on the edge of a cliff watching the waves splashing against the rocks and feel a bit overwhelmed by their uncontrollable force; smelled a scent or heard a sound of nature that has moved your heart and mind into another dimension ... all the beautiful creations of God leave us breathless in many ways with the same intensity each time we pay attention to them.
The essence of true art is to create emotion of same intensity in an observer each time that person looks at one piece or an evolved emotion with a much deeper sense and understanding of that art piece each time.
This goal is actually just a result of opening your heart and letting IT shape your pieces and the most powerful tool is LOVE. Grow in it and your art will grow with it.
One important note: never compare your work with work of others!!! We are all at different levels of knowledge not just of art but life as well. We all have different needs. Inhale their concepts, techniques and use them to make your own ideas live.
If you have any problems, you are coping with, that make it hard for your art to live, write a comment and we'll write a post about it with some advices and loads of encouragement.
Open yourself, reach out of the box and enjoy your creative ride!
If you have any problems, you are coping with, that make it hard for your art to live, write a comment and we'll write a post about it with some advices and loads of encouragement.
Open yourself, reach out of the box and enjoy your creative ride!
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| photo by micicart |
Aleksandra, you've really told the truth here about that irresistible urge to create. The desire for more hours in each day - oh yes! The joy and wonder that floods you when seeing something beautiful - inspiring! Creativity is an enjoyable, if sometimes difficult and frustrating, obsession.
ReplyDeleteYes, yes, and yes! How do you know what I do every day?!!! I think it was your remark about the salad!! I totally do that with food, it has to look a certain way, all the details have to work... It is looking at everything you do and wanting to make it beautiful (and that is quite personal as to what or how you find beauty). It has nothing to do with money, or sale-ability, or if it's the best... It's just doing everything in your life the best you can, everything.
ReplyDeleteWell said Sandra!!
Wonderful post, very well said. The image is lovely.
ReplyDeleteThank you Sandra for this post. For me it is so affirming to know that others including you understand and have similar urges to create and struggles with how much to give in but how futile it is to hold back. Sometimes I feel like an alien with "normal people" all around who don't understand me even a little bit. Your words are healing to my soul. I hope you are well.
ReplyDeleteI know I'm not the only one who feels this way and your comments were comfort for me too.
ReplyDeleteEvelyn you have hit the core of it all, I agree with everything you said.
Jill, I hear you with being an alien around "normal" people. I stopped explaining what it is that I do and why. Let them figure it out for themselves if they care at all.
Thank you for your beautiful hearts!
Thank you so much for writing this so eloquently - it brought tears to my eyes. I know that we have written to each other several times about the problems that we both face daily and how we find ways to over-come them :-) It was all written so beautifully and relates to us all but especially to people like you and me and countless others. The urge to create never leaves, we may find other ways in which to reach our goals but we ALWAYS get there in the end :-) Life may throw a couple of spanners in the works but none of us ever let them get us down :-)We are strong in the face of all!!! And our creativity serves as a great distraction (or so my doctor says!) Just let him come and see me struggling to forge a piece of particularly recalcitrant metal - ha ha! I am so grateful to have these creative outlets and for the ways they help us all. Missy, your blog said it all - thank you!!!
ReplyDeleteWow! I had to read this and I am so glad I did.
ReplyDeleteCatherine Witherell
If I dont have the freedom to paint when I have to I feel like I might die. Its not that I am affraid of death, its just that I am affraid of life without that freedom. My work never fails to take me through hell and out the otherside where my entire purpose is hightened by an object that I can no longer claim responcibility for. It becomes something beyond my normal reflective self experience, as if it is of some thirst quenching mystery that I must kneel to or suffer the drowning breath of meaningless life. I know I can be dramitic, but I dont know how else to say it.
ReplyDeleteI became a father 5 months ago here in Iceland. Ive been here for 14 months now, so yes, it happened very quickly. So the boy was born. Amazing. Easiest thing I ever made. Masterpiece. Because of him, my heart needed to completely take over.
The way I had been working for so long started to become boring. Colours wanted to come in a different way. I eventually started actually enjoying myself! The Canvas I´m working on, thought is kreeping back into the driver seat and a resulting heart pain. Part of its birthing process no doubt. Its demanding my full attention. I could not leave it a couple of days ago when my partner needed me to look after the boy so she could go to her meeting. She was very angry. I couldnt help it, I had to work. I needed to feed it, or something, or it would die! Shit, I sound like a crack addict. Of course she didnt understand. That whole night we didnt speak. The next morning I left early to be with the painting. To work on it. I couldnt think of anything else. Usually I take the boy for a couple of hours in the morning so mama can sleep a bit. He needed to feed after an hour and they fell asleep, so I kreeped out. She was well pissed off. She was tierd, she needed help with him, she wanted me to go shopping, texting me this and that about how worthless I was, selfish, playing around on the canvas, getting angryer and angryer as I stayed and worked... I had to. I tried to explain calmly and clearly, but she didnt understand. Understandably. She saw that I was putting my art before my son. The things she was texting me were really dark, really painfull. In The end I stopped replying. I needed to work. But as you may know. "Happy wife, happy life". I was misserable. The painting was turning to shit, when before, only hours before, I was in awe of it. Its like, without her blessing in the mornings, I cant paint properly!! Well it all kicked off when I got home. Seems I press all her buttons. We tried to talk, but Wow she was angry. Triggered alsorts of stuff in me. Somehow by the grace of something beyond me, we eventually found echothers hearts again. I think Im gonna take a break today. Been up since 4. Morning baby duty coming up. Still there is a faint cry of distress, audible in my heart, coming from the canvas down town. Maybe I can get her blessing today, and everthing will be fine.
I can understand you in every possible way, and one reason is: I am an artist AND double mom. There is always something to be sacrificed and, of course, most of the time it is art. Anyhow, we won't be good artists if we don't find inspiration in pain as well as joy. Greatest art of all is knowing how to live... and learning that art is a never ending process. Wish you all the strength you need to endure and stay blessed both with art and your wife.
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