Knowing, 6 x 6 collage by Leslie Avon Miller
I have been away for a few days. Looking over these answers again has been touching. As artists, it is clear that our creativity is a portal to something bigger than ourselves, to something of profound meaning and value. I just can’t synthesize these because every one is a precious gem. So here they are, in no particular order, and with a touch of paraphrasing. Breathe in the beauty, the soulfulness, and the exquisiteness of the connection each creative person has to their own creativity.
#1 What is it that you get back from your art?
Acceptance of myself and my art
Permission to just be
License to live a different kind of life
Balance in my life
A spiritual feeling
The older I get the more making art changes to meditation
Being in the flow
Writing is the greatest thing for me; it has taken on a life of its own
My writing resonates
Satisfaction
A sense of playfulness
It provides solutions
A coming together, a flowering
I make money
Validation
Impetus to keep making art
Enjoyment
An outlet for my creativity
The ability to solve problems
A sense of community that sustains me
Opportunity to learn new things
Sense of accomplishment
Calms me down
Teaches me patience
Teaches to accept and enjoy many forms of art
Outlet for expressing my emotions
Solace
A way to work out problem and to share
A great adrenalin rush
Feeding of the heart and brain
My brain becomes engaged
I feel blessed
A chance to express one’s deepest beliefs, joys and dreams
A way to get in touch with the visible world around me
Art and creativity is way to express myself in the world
Connections with others
A sense of purpose
A feeling that art is food and medicine
A part of my soul
A secret thought
A new color or texture
A surprise
Regenerative energy
Creativity creates a bigger pool of creativity for all of us
Art is the path to wisdom
Pure joy of creating
Deep satisfaction
Pleasure in completing a quest
The amazing sight of giving new life
Joy, clarity, fulfillment
Growth
Deeper understanding of my inner and outer life
Increased appreciation for the world
A constant dialog with the work
Gratitude to be alive
#1 What is it that you get back from your art?
Acceptance of myself and my art
Permission to just be
License to live a different kind of life
Balance in my life
A spiritual feeling
The older I get the more making art changes to meditation
Being in the flow
Writing is the greatest thing for me; it has taken on a life of its own
My writing resonates
Satisfaction
A sense of playfulness
It provides solutions
A coming together, a flowering
I make money
Validation
Impetus to keep making art
Enjoyment
An outlet for my creativity
The ability to solve problems
A sense of community that sustains me
Opportunity to learn new things
Sense of accomplishment
Calms me down
Teaches me patience
Teaches to accept and enjoy many forms of art
Outlet for expressing my emotions
Solace
A way to work out problem and to share
A great adrenalin rush
Feeding of the heart and brain
My brain becomes engaged
I feel blessed
A chance to express one’s deepest beliefs, joys and dreams
A way to get in touch with the visible world around me
Art and creativity is way to express myself in the world
Connections with others
A sense of purpose
A feeling that art is food and medicine
A part of my soul
A secret thought
A new color or texture
A surprise
Regenerative energy
Creativity creates a bigger pool of creativity for all of us
Art is the path to wisdom
Pure joy of creating
Deep satisfaction
Pleasure in completing a quest
The amazing sight of giving new life
Joy, clarity, fulfillment
Growth
Deeper understanding of my inner and outer life
Increased appreciation for the world
A constant dialog with the work
Gratitude to be alive
These are wonderful. I especially like "solace".
ReplyDeleteso many ways art fills us.....
ReplyDeleteWhat a list! Inspirational.
ReplyDeleteAlmost all of the above apply to me. Reading through the list I keep thinking..of course...why didn't I mention that.
ReplyDeleteHello Leslie,
ReplyDeleteIt seems clear that creating art does many different things for different artists, which is perhaps what one should expect. The art forms are different as are the reasons behind creating it.
What a great list.
ReplyDeleteA wonderful list...I see my own remarks and others and they all say so much about the personal and collective meaning of art making.
ReplyDeleteHope you had a great time at the workshop!
Hope your workshop went well. "Knowing" is another treasure!
ReplyDeleteVery positive list here, uplifting to read.
Great list I could relate to most of these, 'pure joy of creating' especially
ReplyDeleteHi Leslie, I just posted about passing on an Inspiration Award. Congratulations! I nominated you. Enjoy.
ReplyDeleteWonderful list...it is a bit of all of those,
ReplyDeleteWhat a great series of questions. I really am enjoying reading through everybody's responses.
ReplyDeleteI read through these, and so many resonate with me, but these most of all:
ReplyDelete"permission to just be"
"pure joy of creating"