Studio Stories Speak to Me
April 13, 2017
In a book called Studio Stories by Lauren Radar there is a chapter called "Art is Our Birthright, " in which I read this paragraph...
"Long ago art was intertwined with everyday life. Our ancestors coiled the clay bowls they cooked in, sewed the clothes they wore, hammered their own tools. And when they made their pots they didn't stop at making them functional, they designed them to be unique and beautiful. They dyed flax to make their clothing colorful. Art and life entwined. We know that people have been drawing and painting at least since we lived in caves; we are so fortunate to still have the exquisite cave paintings they were moved to make. This is our heritage, the legacy of each and every one of us. As long as there have been people in all corners of the earth, we have been making art. It is a natural, primal facet of being human. "
This paragraph spoke to me on many levels. By no means, am I an artist, but I am okay with that, because what I am is someone who is unafraid to try the various arts. Photography, painting, drawing, multi-media collage, writing, playing music, singing-along--all of these arts enrich me. While I am engaging in any of these, something happens within. Sometimes I am challenged, sometimes frustrated, most times energized, and even more than most, I am serene. "...As long as there have been people in all corners of the earth, we have been making art...., " and I am blessed to have the opportunities to explore these arts.
As a matter of fact, the only help I need is more hours in my day, because exploration is a process and processes take time. No, I won't get the 10,000 hours of practice in on any of these, and truth be told, I don't care. Sure I would love to have started all of this earlier and been focused so that I can play an instrument beautifully, or draw, paint, or photograph something I'd be proud to hang somewhere, but this probably will not happen. However, I will not let this stop me from playing, because playing in the arts is therapeutic and just plain fun, so bring on those extra hours in my day, please-- and maybe even lots more years to live.
In a book called Studio Stories by Lauren Radar there is a chapter called "Art is Our Birthright, " in which I read this paragraph...
"Long ago art was intertwined with everyday life. Our ancestors coiled the clay bowls they cooked in, sewed the clothes they wore, hammered their own tools. And when they made their pots they didn't stop at making them functional, they designed them to be unique and beautiful. They dyed flax to make their clothing colorful. Art and life entwined. We know that people have been drawing and painting at least since we lived in caves; we are so fortunate to still have the exquisite cave paintings they were moved to make. This is our heritage, the legacy of each and every one of us. As long as there have been people in all corners of the earth, we have been making art. It is a natural, primal facet of being human. "
This paragraph spoke to me on many levels. By no means, am I an artist, but I am okay with that, because what I am is someone who is unafraid to try the various arts. Photography, painting, drawing, multi-media collage, writing, playing music, singing-along--all of these arts enrich me. While I am engaging in any of these, something happens within. Sometimes I am challenged, sometimes frustrated, most times energized, and even more than most, I am serene. "...As long as there have been people in all corners of the earth, we have been making art...., " and I am blessed to have the opportunities to explore these arts.
As a matter of fact, the only help I need is more hours in my day, because exploration is a process and processes take time. No, I won't get the 10,000 hours of practice in on any of these, and truth be told, I don't care. Sure I would love to have started all of this earlier and been focused so that I can play an instrument beautifully, or draw, paint, or photograph something I'd be proud to hang somewhere, but this probably will not happen. However, I will not let this stop me from playing, because playing in the arts is therapeutic and just plain fun, so bring on those extra hours in my day, please-- and maybe even lots more years to live.
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