Everyone Is An Artist

Art is a powerful form of self-expression. It allows us to communicate complex emotions and spiritual concepts through various mediums such as the visual and fine arts, music, dance, acting, creative writing, and so on.

When we are being creative we connect with the subconscious part of ourselves. This can be a powerfully healing experience to help us process and integrate our thoughts, feelings, beliefs and life experiences on a deep level.

When we are children, we don’t have any preconceived ideas about art. If you observe young children, you’ll see this very clearly. They don’t worry about how ‘good’ an artist they are. Most kids just see art as a form of play. They love to draw, or paint, or color, and are typically pretty thrilled with their creations.

So, what happens along the way that we become so self-conscious about our artistic endeavors? It seems to me that at some point most people have had ‘the artist’ within subtly discouraged or silenced. Whatever the case may be,suffice it to say that life takes over at some point and being creative artistically takes a back seat.

“I was never very good at it anyway,” or “I just did it for fun,” are common remarks I’ve heard from people. But what’s wrong with not being very good at something? Especially if it’s fun? Moreover, the benefits of spending time being creative are vast! Art Therapy is growing in popularity and more studies are being done around this modality.

One particular study focused on people with chronic illness or cancer. The researchers looked at the impact visual art activities such as painting, drawing, and pottery had on patients and found that art helped to distract them from thoughts of illness.

Art therapy improved their well-being by decreasing negative emotions and improving positive ones. Depression levels were also reduced, and medical outcomes improved overall. There were also reductions in stress, anxiety, and distress. Further there were improvements in the patients’s spontaneity, expression of their grief, positive identity and social interactions.

At the deepest level, the creative process and the healing process arise from a single source. When you are an artist, you are a healer; a wordless trust of the same mystery is the foundation of your work and its integrity ~ Rachel Naomi Remen

Fascinating, right? This seems to me to be a largely untapped resource within all of us that we can access at any time. One that helps us reduce our stress in life and improve our ability to communicate what we are struggling with. It can help foster a more positive sense of self and identity. And it’s fun!

“I’m not an artist”. I hear this all the time and I always challenge it. Everyone is an artist. Some are visual artists, some performance, some people like to garden, or cook, or crochet. All these activities are art forms. Accepting this part of yourself and honoring it as a creator is the first step in reconnecting with it.

The second step is to start playing again. If you had fun painting as a child, then get some paints and get dirty with them! Don’t worry about creating a masterpiece, just have fun. Choose the colors that you are connecting with in that moment, and use your hands, or create textures in the paint that reflect your mood.

Essentially the idea is to just get lost in the process of creation, without being concerned about a finished product. An important thing to remember here is there are no rules with art, and no mistakes.

As you experience creation for the sake of expression, instead of to achieve a specific outcome, you are likely to find yourself immersed in the process. It can bring up all sorts of emotions and memories, some of which you may not have processed consciously. This can bring healing and integration between conscious and unconscious aspects of self. Creative self-expression connects you very intimately with your soul or spirit.

As an artist myself, I am always creating. When I paint or draw, I find the experience remarkably similar to meditation. While I am lost in the artwork my mind is usually going places I don’t consciously realize. I’ve had many powerful moments of personal realization this way.

Art is not a part of life, it is not an addition to life, it is the essence of those pieces of us that make us fulfilled. That give us hope. That give us dreams and provide the world a view very different than what it would have been without us ~ Hasan Davi

I have also found that being creative seems to exercise the part of my brain that helps me connect with and understand the unseen. In my own life, Spirit has used this creative energy as a conduit for communication with me. As I have reflected on this, I realize it can only make sense. As we connect more deeply and genuinely with our own creative spirit, the spark of source that resides within,we become naturally more connected to the Source of All.

While science is doing a fabulous job of validating the results of art therapy, there is a spiritual component to this phenomenon we must not ignore. If you wish to connect more intimately with your soul and with Source, then art and creativity can be a powerful pathway.

The benefits of rediscovering your inner artist are deeply personal and healing. I encourage you to find some time in your daily life to get creative. The medium or art form you choose is up to you as long as you allow yourself to be playful with it. Have fun and don’t place any expectations on what you’re going to create. You just may be surprised and delighted with what you create.