art-supplies1

 

“I’m not an artist….But I carve jewelry boxes.”

“I’m not an artist…But I grow flowers and take pictures of them.”

I can’t make anything….So I’m definitely not an artist.

 

How many times do we hear people say they’re NOT artists.  As if being an artist was designated only to those covered in oil paints living eccentric lives in big cities or in a remote cottages on Cape Cod.  As if whatever lives people are currently living aren’t “artistic” or “creative.”  There’s a widespread assumption that artists are different.  They’re not like you and me.

But the truth is we’re all artists.  We just are!  It’s in our human nature to make, to create, to invent, to ignite change.  It’s an inextinguishable trait of the human spirit.  Einstein was an artist AND a scientist.  Elizabeth Cady Stanton was an artist BY BEING a women’s/human rights activist.  The creative human spirit shows up differently in everyone.  If we let it. 

So how do we let the creative spirit show up in our lives?  By paying attention to whatever sparks our inspiration, fuels our passion, lights us up, quickens our heartbeat, or piques our curiosity and intrigue.  When we do that we invite divine creativity and imagination into our lives.

On the other side of the same coin, we invite the creative spirit into our lives by also paying attention to what calms us, soothes us, or creates peace in our lives.  By doing so we carve out space to connect to our center.  And that space is crucial.  That space allows the creative light to shine into the core of our being.

By opening ourselves up to what truly speaks to us, whether it’s something that stokes our fires or soothes our mind/body/spirit, we open ourselves to meeting new parts of ourselves. And as we meet new parts of ourselves, we encounter the parts that beg to be heard and expressed.  And that expression is art.  Whatever it is, however it shows up.

By expressing parts of yourself, you are, by nature, an artist.

I find myself consistently focusing on seemingly “inartistic” things these days, like running Pilgrim’s Landing.  And there was a time when I was frustrated at the lack of “artistry” I was feeling in my life.  But I had an A-Ha Moment (actually several of them) in the thick of launching our new business.  Ready for it?

Building a business is itself a creative act.  Spinning straw, planting seeds, and tilling soil, step by step by step…Something is born.  Or made.  Or transformed.

Running a business is art.  Making a meal is art.  Decorating your home is art.  Designing a power point presentation is art.  Getting dressed in the morning (or afternoon!) is art.  You are always expressing parts of yourself.  Everything you do is an expression of you.

How do you want to show up in this world? 

Your life is your canvas.  Let it rip.

Twinkly Sparks to light your way,

xo  Danielle