If you’re reading this it’s likely that you’re the proverbial choir when it comes to making art. {No preaching here mind you!}
HOWEVER. In light of the fact that we all experience and suffer from procrastination, resistance, fears, doubts, negative thoughts, criticism and whatever else, I think having a ready resource to lots of the reasons why you love making art is rather a good idea. 😉
So here is a nice list of reminders about why it’s awesome to make art.
Pick whichever one feels most zingy and energising, maybe write it on a post it note, and use it as your motivator to go make some art!
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1. Art is a way to express feelings you can’t describe with words.
2. Making a mess as an adult is not generally encouraged, but incredibly liberating and fun. 🙂
3. Exploring materials, colour, line, texture and shape can be infinitely engrossing.
4. Art is a place to be curious and experimental without fear of consequences.
5. So many things you can do with it – keep it, frame it, cut it up and make cards with it, sell it, give it away!
6. Making anything with your hands is a way to access your true self.
7. Self expression is essential to a happy life.
8. Making art is a way to rediscover play.
9. Art makes a lovely gift, from a small simple sketch on a square of paper to a full scale canvas to adorn a wall.
10. You can never have too much beauty in your life.
11. Art creates connections, in sharing it or in making it together.
12. Making art opens a door to the peace inside.
13. Art truly can heal; it can soothe pain, ease grief, soften rough edges, even change lives.
14. Being in flow is one of the best feelings available to us, and it’s healthy and free!
15. Consciously choosing your innate creativity brings more opportunities to express it into your life.
16. Art supplies are portable! You can make art pretty much anywhere.
17. If you’re going to have a hobby, one that creates more beauty in the world can’t be bad!
18. You don’t have to be technically brilliant to be a joyful artist.
19. Making art is an easy way to bring some lightheartedness and fun into your life.
20. You can make art without a huge investment.
21. Art opens doors you can’t even imagine until you start making it.
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What would you add to this list?
Please share in the comments and let’s make this a collaborative effort! {See No. 11 😉 }
I absolutely LOVE your list! One thing I would add is that when I need to make a decision or handle a challenge and don’t know what to do, making art can bring me some clarity (and calmness). Cheers!
Hello Kari, thanks so much for stopping by – I’ve just been enjoying your blog and especially the post about the aquarium! And your time at Asilomar, which looks blissful.
Fantastic addition to the list!
Hi Tara, I loooove this list.
Thanks for all the inspiration you bring into my world!
XXX
I’m so pleased it was inspiring for you Sofia! 🙂
Hi Tara. Great list. I especially like #11. Can’t wait to try and put fear away and actually make something, anything.
Tom
Hi Tom, welcome to the blog! Glad the post inspired you. 🙂
I really love this list Tara! I makes me want to run into my studio right now! So glad you’re bringing old posts back into the light 🙂
1) Doodles may not be art, but they can lead to art. 2) You can exorcise your grief, rage, or sorrow when no one is around. 3) No one sees the world quite the way you do. Share the vision.
LOVE these Lisa! Especially number three. Thank you for adding to the list!
The creative process leads you to look at the world in ways you hadn’t before and helps you to see things you hadn’t seen before!
Yes! Good one! Thanks Kathi. 🙂
Hello Tara! I’m new to your site and this is my very first comment. I ended up on this page jumping from link to link. I’m slowly coming out of a two-year long creative block, so deep and intense that I feel I have to learn things I used to know all over again. (Sigh…) The bright side is that I am now able to spend 4 to 5 hours a day in my mini studio, painting mostly. There are far more failures than successes but the successes I do get just make me happy.
A problem that seems to persist is that I don’t really know what to do with my work -except try to sell it, of course, as I used to. But since I feel like a beginner again, I’m not yet quite convinced that my work will sell. So: what do I do with my pile of experiments?
So I took out my rubber rolling stamp and a pad of red ink and took some time to print numbers 5 and 9 on a piece of paper that I pinned to my pinboard. Stamping is a more creative way of taking notes than simple writing, I thought.
So, thank you for lending a hand with my re-learning process! I’ll stick around and try to follow your lead completely out of my creative block.
Hi Marina! Thank you for stopping by and taking the time to leave a comment. I can definitely relate to feeling like you need to relearn things. 🙂 Sounds like you have a great set up though! May you move swiftly joyfully out of your block! {Sounds like you already are to me. 🙂 }
Hello Tara. I am new to your site and so love your list. Also art allows you to meet a world full of crazy wonderful people! So to speak….????.
Don’t have a clue what to expect but looking forward to your post.
Welcome Bapette! That’s true! Can’t believe I didn’t include the crazy people. 😉
Hi Tara,
I would certainly add to the bottom of the list ‘getting the work out there – making it pay – creating a website that engages….Do you do any support in this area?
Hi Natalie – although I don’t currently offer any courses on this, we do talk about the business side of art inside the Happy Artist Studio in our private community. That’s where I share personalised feedback and everything I’ve learned about being a working {and thriving!} artist, plus there’s the support and encouragement of other members too.
Love this list!! I love making art and teaching art to young peoples, using their hands! It’s so simple, ancestral and quite relaxing activity for all ages!
Glad you enjoyed it Francesca! I don’t think I realised you teach as well. 👍