Maybe it's not so much that our views of art and creativity have been morphed, but our view of practicality. The word practical is defined as realistic or something that lends to a beneficial function. But, it seems that the word has become almost a secondary definition for mundane, colorless, and bland.
Who is to say that art can't be practical and practicality can't be an art?
When most people think about artists, they think about the pretentious college dropout throwing paint against the walls of their hipster studio apartment. When I think about artists, I think about the people who create works with the hope that it will evoke wonder and inspiration in others, the ones who create witty inventions that help and benefit the lives of others, and who serve others with the intention of creating a more beautiful, loving world.
I don't simply view art as the stuff you hang on your wall or admire in a museum. I view art more as a way of doing. It is taking whatever you choose to do seriously and executing it with an utmost, genuine passion. Art exists in anything that passion can be applied to. There's art in business, exercising, forming relationships, speaking, almost everything.
So you can't ask "Does art matter?" Of course it does. A world without art is a world without passion. While art is important, it cannot truly exist without one thing. Creativity.
I come from a very business minded family and when I was growing up my parents trained me to have the mind of a problem solver. They would give me these brainteaser exercises and puzzles that would help me become the chosen warrior that would save mankind when the machines attack. But, for every problem they presented me with, they would encourage and almost require me to be creative when coming up with a solution.
Creativity is not just applied to art. It is tied to everything. For every problem that presents itself in our lives, a solution must be created. On a regular basis, we meet new people and create relationships. Everyday, we create life by moving, living, and being.
To be creative is to possess the power to create. It's an incredible power that leads to infinite possibilities, and one I personally believe every human is blessed with. In my crazy mind, there are two types of people. There are the creative ones, and there are the ones that just don't know they're creative. We are all designed to be creative and to create.
This does however bring me to a question I am constantly dwelling on and asking myself;
Why not create?
There's a huge sense of vulnerability when it comes to presenting the contents of your heart and mind for others to see. I know I get anxious every time I hit the publish button on a new post. But then again, what kind of world would we be in if Michelangelo were too afraid to even attempt to sculpt David, if Jules Verne were too self-conscious to share his futuristic stories and visions, if Walt Disney were too timid to bring a charismatic, little mouse to life.
I'm not assuming that this blog is up on the same shelf as David, Journey to the Center of the Earth, or Steamboat Willie. But, it is what I have on display for others.
To create is to be upright and bold. While most people say, "Dare to dream." if you're anything like me you'll say, "Dare to share your dreams." Whether we like it or not, the world needs whatever is hidden within the labyrinth of your mind and your heart.
Creating is the art of bringing something into existence. We are all artists at work constantly bringing the products of our imagination into reality and making the unseen seen. We should never let self-doubt, lack of resources, or even the blank canvas itself stop us from doing what we were designed to do.
A few weekends ago, I went to an artisan retreat that my church put on in the San Bernardino Mountains. It was one of those experiences where you arrive, and immediately they hand you a paintbrush and tell you to go paint. Sometimes we really do just need to have the brush forced upon us to have the motivation and creativity pulled out of us.
What are you really waiting for? Pick up a paintbrush and go paint. Grab a pen and write a story. Sit at a piano and compose a song. Seek out people and form relationships. Find a problem and create a solution. Create the beauty you wish existed. The world is full of canvases. Find one and create.
I come from a very business minded family and when I was growing up my parents trained me to have the mind of a problem solver. They would give me these brainteaser exercises and puzzles that would help me become the chosen warrior that would save mankind when the machines attack. But, for every problem they presented me with, they would encourage and almost require me to be creative when coming up with a solution.
Creativity is not just applied to art. It is tied to everything. For every problem that presents itself in our lives, a solution must be created. On a regular basis, we meet new people and create relationships. Everyday, we create life by moving, living, and being.
To be creative is to possess the power to create. It's an incredible power that leads to infinite possibilities, and one I personally believe every human is blessed with. In my crazy mind, there are two types of people. There are the creative ones, and there are the ones that just don't know they're creative. We are all designed to be creative and to create.
This does however bring me to a question I am constantly dwelling on and asking myself;
Why not create?
There's a huge sense of vulnerability when it comes to presenting the contents of your heart and mind for others to see. I know I get anxious every time I hit the publish button on a new post. But then again, what kind of world would we be in if Michelangelo were too afraid to even attempt to sculpt David, if Jules Verne were too self-conscious to share his futuristic stories and visions, if Walt Disney were too timid to bring a charismatic, little mouse to life.
I'm not assuming that this blog is up on the same shelf as David, Journey to the Center of the Earth, or Steamboat Willie. But, it is what I have on display for others.
To create is to be upright and bold. While most people say, "Dare to dream." if you're anything like me you'll say, "Dare to share your dreams." Whether we like it or not, the world needs whatever is hidden within the labyrinth of your mind and your heart.
Creating is the art of bringing something into existence. We are all artists at work constantly bringing the products of our imagination into reality and making the unseen seen. We should never let self-doubt, lack of resources, or even the blank canvas itself stop us from doing what we were designed to do.
A few weekends ago, I went to an artisan retreat that my church put on in the San Bernardino Mountains. It was one of those experiences where you arrive, and immediately they hand you a paintbrush and tell you to go paint. Sometimes we really do just need to have the brush forced upon us to have the motivation and creativity pulled out of us.
What are you really waiting for? Pick up a paintbrush and go paint. Grab a pen and write a story. Sit at a piano and compose a song. Seek out people and form relationships. Find a problem and create a solution. Create the beauty you wish existed. The world is full of canvases. Find one and create.
Art, relationships, solutions, beauty, life. Never stop creating. Ever
