I have always been a creative of one sort or another. I’ve crocheted hats, knitted socks, doodled, quilted, painted, gardened, baked, sewn clothes, danced, kept a diary and written this blog.
And still I tend to think of my art as secondary, inconsequential, and not terribly important. When in fact it is who I am.
While recently in Austin I got to see lithographs by Salvador Dali priced at six figures. Some of his drawings don’t look that much different from mine. Maybe you have to be dead to have your art appreciated.
And then this TED Talk by Amie McNee came across my screen. The Case For Making Art When The World Is On Fire. None of us would argue against the world being on fire, but make art? That seems like fiddling on the Titanic.
My suggestion is to take the time to listen to her passionate message. It has made me committed to putting down the phone and iPad. This week I dusted off and tuned the ukulele I HAD to have and has sat in a corner for too many years. Perhaps struggling to play it is just what this old brain needs.
Next week I will be in Merida, Yucatan, for five days, watercolor painting on site around the city with a group of fellow artists. I remember how scared I was the first time I joined this group. There was a wide range of talent, including one woman who had never picked up a paint brush in her life. Her fearlessness inspired me.
Whatever your interest or skill or lack thereof, just do it. We need your creativity. The world needs it.
DOS TORTAS
the adventures of dos tortas 
oh, wow, I so needed this today! Thank you! I shared with friends who needs to hear it.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Glad I struck a cord, pun intended. Thanks for stopping by.
LikeLike
Dear Alex,
I am so deeply happy that you posted this – I have been thinking alot about art this week. I am writing a book…and it is going slowly but surely…and so I have been listening to creatives speak about art and the creative process. Liz Gilbert calls art “making something more beautiful than is necessary” (or close to that) – and she talks about cooking a meal being art (thank God because that’s about all I am any good at). But the point is that art is necessary – and your blog today underlines that and I hope it reaches many folks!
Thank you for this colorful and delightful blog article – 😊 sending love from cold and bleak Oregon xo Lorrie
Lorrie Jones
Simple Serenity
simpleserenity.comhttp://simpleserenity.com/
253.312.3117
LikeLiked by 1 person
Writing a book! How exciting. Cooking is definitely art and a bit of science.
LikeLike
Amen to that! Love the Texas star 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks. Do you have other art than writing?
LikeLike
Sadly not 😦
LikeLiked by 1 person
Never too late. 😊
LikeLike
I write, and that seems to be my only creative talent. I’d like to learn to draw, but I need a good teacher, and haven’t found one other than the woman who got me started long ago and then moved away.
Maybe once I settle into my new place I will force myself out to learn how to do some new things.
LikeLiked by 1 person
So many classes on YouTube. You can do it!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I may try. The teacher I had was absolutely wonderful, and part of why it worked for me was she would stand behind me and ask me to re-look at certain sections of what I was drawing. She only helped me through three drawings.
Then she moved away. She was in her middle 80s and went to Oregon to be closer to family.
LikeLike
Your quilt was beautiful, by the way!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you. All hand quilted. So many done by machine these days.
LikeLike
You have such a variety of artistic talents!
I love the quote by Seth Godin.
LikeLiked by 1 person
My varied interests means I don’t feel totally competent at anything!
LikeLiked by 1 person