I’ve been thinking a lot about what makes someone an artist. There are lots of definitions and although some make a living creating art; that doesn’t diminish the artist persona in all of us. I came to this understanding while on vacation with my family.
My family just returned from a trip to the Dominican Republic. It’s a beautiful island with amazing beaches and I spent time in the water. At one point after my family left the water I hung out and bounced with the waves, then it happened. My feet starting moving and my hands started moving and I was dancing in the water. There was no music, just the sounds of the water splashing and the kids playing on the shore. There was an internal beat I couldn’t resist.
In the dining areas of the resort, it wasn’t unusual for the staff to sing with the music playing on the intercom. They were jovial with big smiles and grooving to the tunes. They were singing! The folks in the gift shop joined in for the chorus of the tunes playing in the retail establishment all happy and bouncing to the beat…they were singing.
How many times have you been in a meeting and you find yourself doodling on the paper in front of you? You may create elaborate designs all over the page. I have found this to be true while in school. All of my notebooks have doodles and scribbles throughout. Every time we pick up a pen, pencil, or marker and make a mark we’re artists.
We have innate need to express. When we express we feel better. Our ability to create relieves stress and provides us with the ability to get something out of our body and out to the world. The biggest point I want to make is that you have to stop negating your creativity. If you dance, you’re a dancer. If you sing, you’re a singer. It doesn’t mean you’re going to be on So You Think You Can Dance or American Idol. It does mean that your body, mind, and spirit are joining forces to express themselves through the avenue of art.
Don’t’ allow the committee in your head to negate your inner artist. We all have creative potential so let’s get out there and use it!!!!
Time to Live Creatively 
Why do some people like myself feel that there is always a urge to make things: paint, quilt, draw sculpt, throw pots, or just stick things together in an order that makes no sense to anyone and then it becomes art? And…then there are the people who are not artists walk through a museum and are knocked over by a painting. The images stay with them a life time. I’m not really talking about patrons or sponsors. Just ordinary people with no art background. I love to see this. It is when the artist is communicating with one particular individual. There is an electricity that can not be documented. Some children’s art effects me this way. Just wondering……
I have trouble with that “committee” too.
It’s because we all speak different languages. Those who can see a piece of art and be mesmerized by it express themselves and the impact in another venue. Perhaps they are environmentalists who use that inspiration to further their own journey. It’s about interpretation and ultimate self-expression. How we express ourselves is different, but we all end up sharing our world view and showing our true nature and stories to the world.
Thank you!
It’s because we all speak different languages. Those who can see a piece of art and be mesmerized by it express themselves and the impact in another venue. Perhaps they are environmentalists who use that inspiration to further their own journey. It’s about interpretation and ultimate self-expression. How we express ourselves is different, but we all end up sharing our world view and showing our true nature and stories to the world.