'Life is short, art is infinite.'
Oscar Wilde
There are so many great quotes to chose from either about or by artists, but this one resonates particularly. One reason being that Oscar Wilde was such a huge influence on me in my formative years, the other being that these words bring me up short. I've not got a religious nature, but the ability of humans to create could be said to be our reason for being. I hear many people say that they 'are not artistic', but scratch the surface and we find that most of us have the ability to be 'creative', even if only in a small way. I'd argue that the ability to walk in and enjoy nature is a creative act, and even though many of us are not artists, writers, actors or musicians, we all have some appreciation of one or all of these crafts. This is all to say that I find myself lucky enough to immerse myself in creativity as a painter now, but throughout the years between being a young art student and now, I have always lived with a belief in what Oscar has to say above.
Most creatives are aware of Julia Cameron's Artists Way. I haven't actually taken her journey myself yet, although a lovely second hand copy of her book is sat on my shelf of art books waiting for the right moment. I do, however, already live by the tenet of having artist days and dates, and this is a growing practice for me and which feeds in to my 'Why'.
I have taken myself to galleries and allowed myself the time to soak in the work and take inspiration. I've also gone on a solo evening to the theatre recently and for solo country walks. I love going with friends or my partner, but to experience art in all it's forms entirely for and by yourself is something that I'd highly recommend.
We bemoan the encroachment of social media in our lives, but I can say that recently I have connected with new friends through it, that I would never have met before. Significantly a local artist who has not only helped me meet up with a group to exhibit with, but has encouraged me to join a local art gallery collective. My artist dates will be definitely be increasing this year!
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