It is simple to slip into the repetitiveness and dullness of this 9-5 life. But what if you found a way to make the tick-tocking of life’s clock beautiful, artistic even? Maybe it’s time to make your very own life canvas.
Childhood Dreaming
When we were children it was easy to conjure up our own worlds, our very own alternate realities, as we were not suffocated by societal pressures and expectations. We would colour outside the lines, draw our own surrealist masterpieces and stick them up on the fridge to show to mom and dad. We were proud of our imagination.
Then we were taken to art class. There we were met with an art teacher who scorned us for colouring outside the lines, tried to teach us reality over our surrealism, and eventually made us believe that our imagination is not and will never be good enough.
We go from free spirits to stunted societal dummies. Eric Gill put it best when he said, ‘The artist is not a different kind of person, but every person is a different kind of artist.’ Maybe you can’t paint a realistic portrait, but there is something that you can create, something that comes from deep inside of you, your very own artistic freedom of expression.
Seeing Art All around You
Art is, in fact, all around us. It is in nature, in the relationships we share, in our very own flesh and deep within our souls. Life is art. We just need to begin to live it, passionately embrace it, and devour its beauty and pain at the same time. No one can take that away from us. We still have our creativity, inspiration and passion, and we need to fuel it.
It was easy as a child to drift off into the creative unconscious, but, as we grow and become more aware of the anxieties that plague our everyday life, we find it hard to find our inspiration and true passion. We have to intellectually sift through the bulk to find what it is that moves us.
So ask yourself: what inspires you? What moves you? That is your passion – that is your art, and it is all relative. Everybody creates in their own, unique way.
Artistic Outlets
Personally, I have found a way to turn my life into my very own work of art… numerous ways in fact. I’m the kind of person who would probably be locked up if I didn’t have any sort of artistic outlet, so it makes sense that I have several.
Ever since the age of 12 I have been journaling, purging my emotions on paper to save my sanity. I am now 25, and on my 40th journal. I love every moment I spend with pen in hand, turning a blank piece of paper into a way out of my own mind. My words are my life art. As trite as it may sound, journaling, for me, is almost a religious act… cleansing… soul cleansing.
I also draw, write poetry, and fill my room with things that inspire me. I enjoy making my personal space my own personal inspiration. I have handwritten quotes from my favourite authors and musicians plastered on my walls, and photographs of people and places that stir up some sort of emotion within me.
As Thomas Merton said, ‘Art enables us to find ourselves and lose ourselves at the same time.’ This is how I live and this is how I express myself, and without my own artistic outlets I don’t know if I would, in fact, even know myself at all.
Art as Passion
If anything, art is about ‘soul.’ It is not about painting, drawing or writing masterpieces – it is about creating something that is a part of you. And creativity can take on many forms; art cannot be pigeon-holed or put in a box. Everyone has an artist within them, just a different kind of artist.
It is a fault to assume that gardeners, mathematicians, business owners, etc. aren’t artists. Quite the contrary. Everyone has unique talents. Creativity comes in all forms and it is about discovering your passion and making it your life’s art – your magnum opus.
Essentially, making your life a work of art is about living your passion. No matter what your passion may be. You may find your creativity in cooking, music, business, selling or even the sciences… but no matter where you find your inspiration, remember to ‘live’ it!
Live It
Always make time for that one thing that you are passionate about, because without it your life my slip into the malevolent world of Dali’s melting clocks. And who wants a life wasted? As Chuck Palahniuk said, ‘This is your life and it’s ending one minute at a time.’
So make every minute count. This is your life… your magnum opus… your masterpiece.
