Art as a Way

Raven

This year has barely begun and I'm already behind by my usual standards!  Last year I started the year off with 30 paintings in the 30 days of January.  It was so much fun, but a lot of work!  This year I decided to take stock of my artistic ambitions and goals.  Basically, I decided not to have any.  No pressure.  Just art and creativity for the sake of the art and creativity!

I've been pondering this for some time now.  What if...no one saw my art?  Would I still make it?  What if...selling my art or winning awards didn't validate my art?  Would I still create it and work so hard at it?  And what if, I could do anything I wanted with my life, my time and my money?  Would I still make art?  I bet you can guess the answer.  How would you answer?  

For my first post of the New Year on my Facebook page, I posted the quote that sums it up.  I'm making that my mantra this year.  To create for the sake of creating.  It's been a recurring topic of conversation for some reason.  Maybe God is reinforcing something in me?  When we remove the need to have an "acceptable" finished work of art we can focus on the process.  If we let go of our judgement of the end product and just enjoy the creative flow while we make art, the art itself is not the focus.  What??  Take the focus off the end result?  Sort of like living in the here and now---you've heard the phrase "living in the moment"?  Well, create in and for, the moment!  What a concept! :)

 What would happen if this year you painted for the joy of it and did not to judge the outcome.  What if you kept the value in the doing, in the act of creation.  My best work always has an element of excitement and wonder during its making.   What if we shift the focus to the joy, beauty, motion-- and all the other things that happen as you create? And what if, we let the art become...a way?
  

I think its a plan.  I'm pretty sure it's going to be a good year!