If Acceptance is Your Goal…It’s Time to Reevaluate

I’ve been hanging around artists for a long time.  I go to art galleries, museums, and artists’ studios.  I belong to an art guild, buy art magazines, and subscribe to a number of artist sites on social media.  I’m drawn in by the artist’s narrative.  I would love to spend time in art studios just observing the process.  I get to do that when I watch the series Art 21, but in person would be better.

Listening to artists who are caught up in notoriety leads many to make things that are “pretty”.  They are visually appealing and if that’s how you define success, then you’re successful.  The problem for many creative beings is that they became artists because there was a calling.  There was a moment in time when there was a knock on the door and they decided to answer.

I’m always intrigued by installation art because it’s a huge mystery to me.  It took me a long time to realize that installation artists depend on commissions to make a living.  Installation artists embody a quality that many other artists don’t experience, freedom!  There is a freedom to tell a story.  They aren’t concerned about whether or not the work will fit in someone’s dining room.  The Mattress Factory, an art museum in Pittsburgh is devoted to installation art.  They provide the artist with space to create, and a place to live while working on the installation.  They are given the freedom to create with a sense of purpose, honesty, and authenticity.

We live in a world full of judgments.  Feeling judged is a way of herding creative beings to a place of safety.  Some artists create in a place of safety because the world can be harsh and they haven’t developed a tough skin to brave what comes at them.  Acceptance is a tricky thing because it makes us prey to the valuation placed on us by others.  I understand that if someone is going to make a living creating art the work has to be marketable, but if it’s not about the artist’s truth is it worth the sacrifice?

Michelangelo, Crouching Boy

If freedom is the goal then the artist can create from the soul.  They can tell stories that need to be told.  As artists, we’re social commentators.  We have a platform the expose cultural inequities, historical mishaps, and question authority.  We can create work that challenges cultural norms and provides a haven for people to explore their inner worlds.

Striving for acceptance and sacrificing freedom eventually is a stifling force.  It will in time stifle creativity.  Open yourself up to freedom and see what rises to the surface.  I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised.

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Filtration and Creativity

We’re taught to filter our thoughts and decisions. At times we’re asked to filter our truth because it’s too painful for those around us to tolerate. Filtration is great when it takes out impurities that will harm us, but what does it do to our psyche? Any time that we filter our lives we lose a part of our story. I think about filtering things when I cook, what’s left in the filter is the pulp, the grounds, the pieces that can’t make it through the strainer creating a filtered product. Unfortunately we throw those captured parts away, but if we do that in life what are we throwing away?

Creativity is a magnificent thing and brings joy to our lives. It provides us with an outlet for stress. Creativity, for many, is the path to emotional and spiritual freedom. When we express ourselves, unfiltered, we are uncovering hidden parts of our psyche. It’s similar to dreaming and unlocking the message of the unconscious. Our creative expression can serve as a map guiding us to further questions expanding our quest for healing and self-knowing.

The creative process can be spontaneous or guided. It can be for relaxation, healing, or simply fun. When we dedicate time to create we give ourselves the space to take a deep breath and when we exhale what results is an infusion of our soul into our art. Unfiltered creativity is honest and in a world that asks us to be “polite”, “non-abrasive”, or even “untruthful” having a place to be true to yourself is imperative to health and healing.

Our creativity is sacred. It’s a glimpse of what’s possible. What we create is a mirror to our soul. It may challenge us to dig deeper, uncover what lies beneath what’s visible or audible, or simply play like you did as a child and experience joy.

Don’t filter your creative self. Allow it to be free! Allow it to be real! Allow it to heal you!!

Follow me on Twitter: @GregKatz2

Express Yourself!

Last night I went to the monthly meeting of Front Range Contemporary Quilters (FRCQ), (www.artquilters.org) the textile art guild I call my creative home. Every month we have a speaker on some aspect of textile art and last night it revolved around wearable art. I tried to create a vest once in my textile career, but I need further instruction on clothing construction.

The meeting started with a fashion show presented by the wearable art special interest group. The main event was Lynda Faires (www.lyndafaires.com), noted textile artist and wearable art creator extraordinaire.  Another one of my favorite wearable art creators is Kate Cox (www.katecox.net). Her work is magical and evokes feelings of mystery and wonder!

Kate Cox, Water Coat, In Private Collection

What we wear can be another way we can express ourselves. Everyone who works with me knows that I have an extensive wardrobe of shirts. The shirts are striking patterns and colors. I don’t shy away from shocking colors and designs because I think they’re striking. They allow me to sing with clothing.

I find that I select what I wear based on my mood and wearing something colorful puts me in a good mood. It’s interesting because people may not say anything about a painting or sculpture, but because clothing is such an integral part of our consciousness we all make comments about it.

Think about shows like Project Runway, a reality show for up and coming fashion designers. The judges always make a point of asking the designers about their design aesthetic and point-of-view. Fashion is a means of expression and can reflect how we’re feeling and thinking. It creates a personal experience when we put on an item of clothing that makes us feel good or stand out in a crowd.

Our creativity doesn’t have to be exhibited in a gallery. It doesn’t have to show up on a canvas or emerge from a piece of stone. It can simply be something as personal as your favorite shirt, your favorite purse, or a piece of jewelry. However you choose to express yourself do it with gusto! Let your inner artist shine through your clothing!!

Follow me on Twitter: @GregKatz2

Who Do You Create For?

Ever listen to people talk about their dream jobs? Were you surprised to hear people say that they would do what they’re doing even if they weren’t being paid? I assume these individuals are talking about passion. It’s the need, desire, and connection to expressing oneself through one’s actions. The amazing thing is that many of the creative people I know do just that; create because it’s a release, an expression of their soul, and brings their body, mind, and spirit in alignment.

When you paint, sing, sculpt, write, or create in some other medium whom are you creating for? Are you creating with the intent of sharing it with the world?   Is it important that the world see your creation? Is it the process of creating that’s most important? As you can see I have plenty of questions and want to explore the importance of creating for healing.

Cyril Connolly stated, “Better to write for yourself and have no public, than to write for the public and have no self.” When I first read this quote it struck a chord. The journal process is popular because it gives each of us an outlet for our thoughts and creativity. It provides a safe space to tell a story, your story.

If you’ve ever done Julia Cameron’s The Artist’s Way she talks about writing “morning pages”. These pages are a way to clear your consciousness for the day leaving you open to what presents itself. Her recommendation is not to read what you’ve written. It is a clearing exercise, not a creativity exercise.

Our creativity provides our spirit with a voice. It allows us to sort out our conflicts, soothe our anxieties, and clear a path for opportunity to present itself. Our creativity expands our soul’s ability to expand. It’s like taking a huge breath filling your lungs with clean air; you feel invigorated.

Don’t sacrifice your “self”. Create even if no one ever sees it because the only person who needs to see it and experience it is you!!

Follow me on Twitter: @GregKatz2

The Medical Community Taking the Lead in the Arts

I spend a lot of time at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center. When I was writing my dissertation it felt like I lived in the library. The school is home to a medical school, nursing school, pharmacy school, and dental school. In addition they have programs in various sciences and public health. One of the school’s attributes is their incorporation of the arts in medicine. They believe, quite strongly, that the arts will enhance the education of their students, professors, and providers.

The school offers a minor for undergraduates in Medical Humanities. The healthcare schools offer a course in Arts and Medicine. There are weekly lectures by faculty members and community experts on the issues surrounding art and healthcare.

One of the outcomes of the Arts in Medicine program is the annual public of The Human Touch. It’s an anthology of poetry, prose, and visual art related to the individual’s experience of being a medical provider. The program and the resulting anthology gives providers and students an outlet for the emotional experiences they witness daily. In addition, it gives the students, who may be seeing things they never thought imaginable, a place to debrief through artistic expression.

These students, faculty, and providers aren’t looking to become “working artists”. They are incorporating art into their lives to relieve stress, explore the impact their studies/work have on their psyche, and provides the world with a peak into their healthcare journey.

It gets me thinking about the possibilities of expanding this concept beyond the medical community. What if big corporations had a program that created this type of anthology utilizing art to unleash potential within their organizations? What if spiritual communities unleashed the “big” questions by congregants by using art to explore the depths of the soul? I congratulate UC Health Sciences Center for being a leader in thought and practice in the field of Art and Medicine!

Follow me on Twitter: @GregKatz2

Selfies for Creatives…Ahead of the Curve

One of the cultural changes resulting from smart phones and social media is the selfie. The selfie is prevalent that one of the major television networks has a show titled Selfies beginning this season. The selfie in many cases has gone viral as when Ellen hosted the Academy Awards in 2014 and squeezed as many A-List stars into one selfie that was tweeted countless times. Do we really have a need to take that many pictures of ourselves?

The idea of taking pictures of oneself to be seen isn’t foreign to anyone who has a creative bone in their body. Creatives have been taking or making selfies since the beginning of time; it’s called art. Sculptors, painters, dancers, songwriters, visual artist, digital artists, muralists, and doodlers all know that what we create is an expression of ourselves. It’s an honest view of our inner and outer world that we want to share. Imagine taking a photo of one of your doodles and sending it out on twitter as a thought you want to share, would it confuse people or would they know it’s you?

I love the notion that creative people invented the non-photo selfie. I believe it’s one more way that we as creative beings can express who we are and what we’re experiencing. It isn’t corny. It’s an honest representation of our humanity and that’s why art is healing. It gives us the opportunity to express ourselves honestly and from a place deeper than any selfie taken with a camera on your phone.

Allow yourself to create and share. We all want to know what you’re thinking, feeling, and experiencing. When we share our art/selfie we share ourselves and that builds community. It’s allows our story to reach places we never thought we could. Technology allows us to share our creative/life journey with like minded people and that’s healing!

Follow me on Twitter: @GregKatz2

Can You Hear Me Now?

We all know the Verizon commercial with the guy asking repeatedly, “Can you hear me now?” demonstrating coverage. Although art is not about selling phones, the notion of being heard/seen/experienced is very important to an artist. We want to know that our message is being received. I want to make it clear that I’m not making a differentiation between “working artist” and those who create for fun, release, and joy. It doesn’t matter if your work is hanging on a refrigerator or the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Creativity is not hierarchical; it’s universal!

The Voice, a musical competition show began a new season last night. The gist of the program is that the auditions are blind. The judges only hear the contestant and if they want them to be on their team they hit a button and turn their chair around. A few of the judges were courting one of the singers and Adam Levine, the lead singer of Maroon 5 said to the contestant, “As your coach I just want to be your amplifier.”

One of the important aspects of living a full life is the opportunity to tell our stories. Our stories punctuate key moments in our lives that are the foundation for who we’ve become. Our stories are memorable and make impressions on those around us. Our stories have impact the lives of others, sometimes without our knowledge.

Using our creativity to “amplify” our lives gives us a broader platform to share what’s important to us. Amplification is important because too many times our stories get drowned out from all the “noise” of society. We all want to be seen and heard and creativity is one way to make that happen. It’s a way for us to remain true to ourselves and that’s the key to living a genuine and authentic life.

If you’re looking to embark on a healing journey, amplifying your story is key to blazing your own unique trail!

Follow me on Twitter: @GregKatz2

Is It Live or Is It Memorex?

There was a time in our history when the “tape recorder” was a common electronic component in our lives. I had a small colorful one made by Panasonic. I used it for many things from recording music off the radio, recording the second part on a duet so I could play a duet without another person, or listening to something over and over to memorize it. Times have changed and we’ve gone digital. Our phones have recording capabilities not to mention a host of apps on our computers such as Garage Band.

During an interview I heard this past weekend I heard an artist say, “We are a constant tape recorder for our lives.” When we invoke the creative muses in our lives we can capture the memories, feelings, and experiences providing us with healing energy. These captured moments remind us how we overcome adversity, celebrate accomplishments, and soothe ourselves during times of stress. Our creativity is the tape recorder of the soul.

Using creative outlets, whether you create something unique, put your own twist on it, or simply enjoy experiencing something beautiful it has meaning to you. It represents something in your life you want to remember. It signifies a part of your life worth noting, like a landmark when you’re driving and looking for a specific destination. These creative landmarks create shortcuts to the feelings you experienced in the past and allows you to access the feelings you need for health and healing.

I can’t think of anything more poetic than the song Memory by Barbara Streisand. The line, “Memories, light the corners of my mind.” Creativity allows us to shine a light on poignant moments that teach us lessons and allow us to create a lessons learned approach to life.

Give yourself the gift of creative expression and indulge yourself in the bounty that will come from recording life’s experiences!

Follow me on Twitter: @GregKatz2

Artists Know This and They’re Willing to Share

Art is beautiful. It conveys emotions, ideas, and philosophies. Art unlocks our unconscious processes giving us greater insight to our own psyche and a peak to the collective consciousness. The unfortunate thing is that too many people feel that art is out of their reach. They have come to believe that art is something only created by people whose work shows up in galleries, museums, and the pages of magazines. Is art really inaccessible?

I was invited over to one of my neighbors last week for a get together. On one of the walls were about eight drawings, all framed, and created by their daughter. The work was hung as proudly as any work of art bought in a gallery. It was not only a testament to their pride of their daughter’s creativity, but acknowledged the importance of her persona in the home.

A study done in an arts magazine a couple of years asked students starting in kindergarten about how they perceived themselves in relation to art. The youngest participants when asked if they felt they were artists answered yes unanimously. When the researchers asked fourth graders (about 9 years old) about sixty percent felt they were artists. By the time the researchers got to the high school students, only about 2 students in the class felt they were artists; what changed their self-perceptions?

Dave Burns, a sculptor, was interviewed on the PBS series Arts District. Burns said, “You don’t have to be an artist, you just have to start.” I believe what Burns was saying is that you don’t have to be a professional artist because we’re all artists in our own way and not expressing ourselves is the real shame.

Art heals! Art allows us to be true to ourselves making us more authentic in all aspects of our lives. Allow your inner artist to peak through and grow over time and watch the changes that will take place in your life!

Follow me on Twitter: @GregKatz2

Taking It to the Streets

We often think about seeing art in a museum, gallery, or studio space. The truth is that art is everywhere. You can find original art in restaurants, hair salons, and hospitals. Culturally we’re beginning to see art become a part of our collective consciousness because it impacts our physical, emotional, and spiritual lives.

I recently had the experience to work in the NY/NJ area and found myself in New York City f or a couple of sightseeing opportunities. I saw these few large black structures in the street. As I got closer I realized these weren’t structures, but art pieces. Upon closer examination I saw these pieces were made of rubber. I believe they are recycled tires that have been transformed into something beautiful. It’s that shift from functional to something beautiful. Even a tire can have a second life and that’s what art does for us; it gives us a new life!

The furniture world is jumping on the bandwagon with complete lines of furniture with “reclaimed” wood. People who are building or remodeling homes are looking for “reclaimed” lumber. There are even art exhibitions where the theme is “recycled” materials. This punctuates the idea that everything old can be new again!

We’ve told throughout the ages that one person’s trash is another’s treasure. Art allows us to create, invent, repurpose, and make beautiful anything and everything we come in contact with. When we create we give meaning to the materials we use. We utilize these materials to tell our story and then share that story with the world.

Look for art wherever you go. Make art out of “unconventional” materials. Change the idea of something being “unconventional” to being innovative. Expand your create palette by taking it to the streets or other places where you can tell your story!