It’s not for the gram…I’ll tell you that.
Why do we create? Why do we make art? Why do we feel the urge to keep producing idea after idea?
Sometimes, these questions come up in my sessions and it often is out of frustration.
Have you ever heard yourself saying: if I only could be free of this urge to create, I’d be less distracted…
And I’m writing this post today to say: wait a minute!
Let’s explore why it’s built into everyone, yes everyone, to be a creator. Because with this information, then you can begin to see your unique creativity as a super power, not a burden to get to another day.
We make art…
Because our ancestors did.
As an art historian, I can give you this point of view with 100 truth. For the most part, throughout time, people have made a mark because it’s part of their life, creating for warmth, food, or to chart the cycles of the earth. And only really in the modern age do we see art that was simply for pleasures like scenery (think impressionists).
This is a broad over generalization, but we can feel it in our being here that the people who came before us danced, sang, and made as a part of a daily life. We want to join them.
We want to feel.
There are a lot of quick escapes in our culture – ways to escape our tough emotions. They can range from picking up your phone 100 times per hour or asking all your friends advice about what to do before you’ve even asked yourself what to do.
Making and creating gets you moving and feeling and, I believe, listening to yourself more.
We want to have fun.
Our adult life is missing fun. As a mama, I even realize how often I refrain from imaginative play or running around a playground because I’m not supposed to – I’m supposed to adult – and be linear.
Let me tell you – my days are much more fulfilling when I let myself have fun. And that often does mean getting super messy with my painting.
Everything washes out (well not everything, but most things). Let yourself feel freedom in your creating, even for just a few minute.
We want to heal what needs to heal.
I’m a recovering perfectionist. My perfectionism has been crippling at times — to the point of being so hard on myself that I can’t see straight. As I make art, though, I play with chance and mistakes and feel lighter about things not being perfect.
In making art, it’s often as if I unleash a voice that needs to be heard. I call my work translating, because that’s often the way it feels. I’m figuring out what needs to be said. I’m listening to what I need to hear. That’s where the healing comes from, in my belief, when you give it the time and space to be.
Tell me, dear one…why do you make art? Or, are you uncertain and needing direction or permission to do so? Tell me more in the comments below. I want to hear from you.
