How Art Making Can Make You More Whole

If you are a professional artist or aspiring artist, you probably care pretty deeply about making artwork that impacts others or helps to create positive change. As a result it’s easy to fall into the trap of thinking from the center of your art outwards. To think that your book, your composition, play or painting is the thing instead of remembering that you are the thing. You have to practice, shape, research, write, project and tell the story. You have to figure out where this artistic entity begins and ends. However, a lot of times in art we tend to focus on our goal, or project, without assessing our current state. 

But here’s the thing. I imagine many of you reading this have had the experience where a song or poem just writes itself. Where one day you sit down or saddle up to create and the piece just flows seamlessly out of you. So why is it that we forget our part in the process? Perhaps in those moments it does feel as if we really aren’t the creators but more the conduits for art. Yet even if that is the case, which I do believe, don’t you want to be the best conduit for your art possible? And by best I mean well cared for. 

The way that art has been taught in the past often focuses on getting the job done by any means necessary. But that approach can leave people ripe with physical injuries, mental stress, anxiety, or even worse, dependencies on outside substances such as drugs or alcohol or looking to other people for love and approval. 

So how do you want to make art this year? Do you want to create a well loved, well tended home for your art to spring from? Do you want to create art that touches others and maybe even leaves you the better after it’s completion? Remember YOU are the instrument. You are not a bystander. 

To gain more support for your artistic process, join Tuning In, The Embodied Artist Practice Space. Imagine a virtual artistic “We Work” space for like minded women/non binary folks of color in the arts. Email here to find out more.