Being An Artist is a State of Mind

Everyone's an artist. Having made that statement, I can already hear the denials, "Not me!"

"I'm no good at art, not really."

"I enjoy art, I'm just not an artist."

You've heard it and you've probably said it. But I challenge that negativity. We are all artists in a number of ways. Being an artist simply means that you create. It doesn't have to mean that what you've created hangs in the Louvre or the Metropolitan Museum of Art. It doesn't mean that you need to earn your living from art, although you can. If you approach anything in life creatively, then you are an artisit.

Have you watched children create with crayons, paper and glue? They are all artists and they take joy in creating. We enjoy watching them because they are realizing all the benefits inherent in the process of making art: they are seeing, feeling, expressing and finding soul-utions which engage them and also make them proud to share with others. They are creating culture.

Have you ever taken a photograph of something that moved you? Art.

Have you ever planned, laid out and planted a garden? Art.

Have you organized your child's photos and drawings in scrapbook? Art.

Have you chosen paint, furnishings, and rugs for your home? Art.

Being an artist means that you create and express your own unique perspective through the things you create. We can take pride in our finished creations, but we also realize that the essence of being an artist lies in the process of creating.

The process of making art of any kind engages our minds, our hands, our voices. We pour our heart and soul into that process for as long as it satifies us. We return to a canvas or a dance move often, seeking to improve the execution of just one element of the work.

Art is all around us. Art permeates our culture and we all partake in art. If you still are of the opinion that you are not an artist, then I believe that you simply haven't learned the skills you think you need to be an artist. Skills can be acquired at any age. Things don't have to be perfect to be wonderful.

If you have an interest in art of any kind, or if you are looking for an interesting way to become more involved in the community, then I invite you to attend the organizational meeting of the Montgomery Arts Alliance at 6:30 on June 27th at the Village Hall.

Everyone is welcome and we promise to put whatever skills you bring to good use! Along the way you'll have the opportunity to learn skills from other artists and to share in the experience of enriching art in Montgomery.

In future blog posts I'm going to write about some of the research that's been done about art-enriched curricullums in our schools, the benefits of art to individuals of all ages, art activities that you can do with your kids, and anything else that catches my eye in the world of art. I hope you'll join me in embracing the arts here in Montgomery.