You are an artist, and there is nothing to be ashamed of.
When you write a letter, plant a garden or bake cupcakes you are creating. And creating is the essence of art. Forgo the definitions: fine art, craft art, primitive art, it matters little how it is defined. Create. The way you apply your make up or drive your car, requires a creative skill. The number of folks I meet who shrink from their innate artist is startling. What would happen if we embraced our creative passions? What is stopping us? There is a theory I have, it’s the shame factor, caused by a mix of lack of permission and total absence of support. There is another theory I have, there is a cure!
Forgive that third grade classmate who laughed at your drawing of a dog! Forgive the sister who mocked your singing! Forgive the rolling eyes of your best friend as you dreamed out loud of your jams and jellies company. Let’s not even try to figure out what fueled their cruelty, I am here to tell you it is time to celebrate your artistic nature and give the right side of your brain a hug.
Being raised in a large family, with little supervision, I believe that our genetic disposition to be creative was allowed to flourish. My oldest sister is a photographer, my brother Joel painted. I have a sister who paints and writes poetry and my younger brother is an architect. Then there is my sister who is an engineer, let’s face it, she’s miserable. My youngest brother is a musician. Designing jewelry, marketing concepts, sales displays and hustling everyday to make… no, embrace.. my living, that’s what I do. It could not be done if I were to allow the shame of my failed designs, bounced checks and old car guide my hands. They would go up, not in a beautiful surrender to what is, but a sad defeat of what could have been, a new creation.
The image at the top of this post is a drawing by my son Nick.
The photograph above is also by my son Nick.
Both fabulous works of art. He is an artist, he makes bread.
Today, I encourage you to take twenty minutes and just think about what you would create, if you had the time, support and encouragement? What paper mâché lamp, fabulous hat or book of haiku’s would you start working on? Would you write a letter to a child in college, a blog about your cat or photograph your grandmother as she makes an apple pie?
Shake the shame, create and honor the right side of your brain!
hello Great blog!!
I spent my whole bloody life wanting to be a dancer but was good at sublimating everything in myself that was rhythmic and musical. It’s no good to fight it. My right and left brain have been at war ever since I can remember. I began to give in to my right brain when I was in my twenties and then when I’d satisfy “my dance fix” for awhile then I’d jump back into “the real world” where I have a satisfactory conventional career. In my later years, I realize that I underestimated my artistic drive. It just won’t go away!
That’s very true, but artists are also visionaries, like yourself,whose ideas redefine who we are and offer another perspective of why we’re here and why we create !