Hi, Everyone!
Have you ever heard of the starving artist who turns their pain and misery into fantastical beauty? I'm willing to bet all two dollars in my wallet you likely have. Today, I'd like to explore this trope a bit before talking about what really makes an artist.
Let's start with the obvious. When I'm at my lowest lows, making something pretty to cheer me up is such an important coping skill I've taught myself. When I use some red paint or purple words, I can begin to see hope in a hopeless situation. If I'm really into it, sometimes I'll even create something worth showing off; I'm particularly proud of last year's Pride painting for that reason. But what about when making art doesn't make us feel better?
Sometimes words express what visuals or sounds cannot, and sometimes the opposite is true! But when the walls are closing in, what separates our voice from someone else's? Are we really that unique to have a perception that hasn't already been seen? My answer to this has turned into my artistic process. I think it's safe to assume that when we aren't feeling our best, we often feel like we don't have a voice. We don't feel understood or validated or appreciated and somehow we resist the urge to put pencil to paper. While it takes an astonishing amount of strength to refuse the pleasure of self-expression, I've come to learn that giving yourself the space to write that poem or sing that song nurtures a different kind of fortitude.
Our time on this earth has an expiration date, and even worse, we're not even aware of when that date is. We would rather turn in our grave than celebrate the rebirth of our love for others. This is the condition artists learn to work through in their creations. Through mirrors and lights and veils of complexity, art fuses the body to the mind and fosters a primal love for our world. You may have heard that art is deeper than the picture on its surface. You may have even heard that art is political or rebellious or zealous, but what people normally won't tell you is that art is our love and understanding and hopes to make reparations for our past sins. It shows us a new way of being ourself without changing who we are, just our outlook. Artists, whether they'll tell you or not, know this, and the best artists show people how to love themselves and help grow the world around them.
The question I often hear goes something like: “I've always wanted to be an artist but I don't know where to start. I'm no good at it.” I think this line of questioning ourselves is unproductive and I say that because it's an admission of fear. It's essentially saying, “I just don't have anything special to say.” Everyone has something to say, just look at social media. The amount of word salads posted on any one of those sites on any given day could feed a famine-ridden country for a year. You have an opinion, and isn't that one of the most special things in the world? Your words are valuable and they carry unfathomable weight. But how will you carry them? Who will be the recipient of that weight?
Not all weight is distributed or made the same. A ton of feathers may weigh the same as a ton of concrete, but a ton of feathers sure is gonna feel a lot softer to lift. The way we interact with others shares the core principles of art. It is communication in its deepest, most authentic form. It says things we think without us ever uttering a word. You, me, and every other conscious human being has that power. So how will you use it? You can make art, you make it every day, even if you don't recognize it. The conversations you have with loved ones changes how they perceive the world. Every heart-to-heart, every fight, every breakup, and every wedding vow carries the weight of the generations that have brought us from conception to transcendence. Whether you like it or not, you are art, my friend, and those that have influenced your formation will live on through your actions. So maybe you don't paint, maybe you prefer to play the silent type. What art is and is not will always be debated, but one thing I can confidently say is that the way you show your compassion and empathy for others is art's highest calling.
If you feel unsure of yourself or don't feel seen, don't distress. Take the weight of the concrete you carry and transmute them into the feathers others can help you carry. By showing parts of others in yourself, you will invite them to show parts of you in them. I want you to know that you are brilliant and you shine like the brightest of stars, even if you try to hide it. Just know that when you choose to sparkle, the whole world will reflect you.
Yours until we meet again, my friends,
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