True and beautifully stated. I find that the resilience you mention is somehow also related to the freedom to error that art-making provides. We grow by mistakes, the way a child learns to walk. In our other life activities, there is pressure to do "it right." Often, that is because if we fuck up someone can get hurt. But with art, I can take risks, explore, challenge myself beyond my abilities--and there is no risk of someone getting hurt. That freedom gives me room to grow, not just as an artist, but as a human. It gives me room to heal my soul, pick myself up, and put one foot in front of the other in the march of life. My bucket full of mistakes make me a better and more fulfilled person. Art gives me that opportunity.
Over the last week of December I suddenly and unexpectedly lost my aunt. It was (and is) completely devastating. This is the first time I have lost someone this close to me, so the grieving process was unexpected and confusing, and I found myself at a total loss for a while. I have an upcoming First Thursday show in Feb and I hadn't started on it, and almost didn't want to. But once I got started with the work, the pain was a little easier to carry, and as I spend more time with it, I'm able to understand it a little better. It's still horrible and weird and amorphous, but its becoming something less powerful and overwhelming, which I largely attribute to my creative outlets. I think I really needed this article, thank you for your words.
What beautiful writing about a vital part of life and a deeply meaningful way to see it made real. Thank you for reminding us, yet again, that art and creative practices impact our lives in more ways than we can count. And that they do so at a visceral level. Just what my heart needed today. 💜
I had never thought of resilience being connected to my over 40 years of art making in this way. What a great narrative change! Thank you! 🙏🏼
True and beautifully stated. I find that the resilience you mention is somehow also related to the freedom to error that art-making provides. We grow by mistakes, the way a child learns to walk. In our other life activities, there is pressure to do "it right." Often, that is because if we fuck up someone can get hurt. But with art, I can take risks, explore, challenge myself beyond my abilities--and there is no risk of someone getting hurt. That freedom gives me room to grow, not just as an artist, but as a human. It gives me room to heal my soul, pick myself up, and put one foot in front of the other in the march of life. My bucket full of mistakes make me a better and more fulfilled person. Art gives me that opportunity.
Over the last week of December I suddenly and unexpectedly lost my aunt. It was (and is) completely devastating. This is the first time I have lost someone this close to me, so the grieving process was unexpected and confusing, and I found myself at a total loss for a while. I have an upcoming First Thursday show in Feb and I hadn't started on it, and almost didn't want to. But once I got started with the work, the pain was a little easier to carry, and as I spend more time with it, I'm able to understand it a little better. It's still horrible and weird and amorphous, but its becoming something less powerful and overwhelming, which I largely attribute to my creative outlets. I think I really needed this article, thank you for your words.
I'm a painter, and a designer, retired performance artist, currently working on a graphic memoir using paintings...
What beautiful writing about a vital part of life and a deeply meaningful way to see it made real. Thank you for reminding us, yet again, that art and creative practices impact our lives in more ways than we can count. And that they do so at a visceral level. Just what my heart needed today. 💜