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May 19, 2015 In art, communication, creativity, imagination, inspiration, intelligence, philosophy By Patricia Saxton

What Is Art?

After creating this poster for my Facebook pages, someone asked me to define art. You might think I’d have a ready answer, but no. In fact, I’m not sure I’ve given it much thought, which is equally surprising. I liked the question though, and what follows is an expanded (rather long-winded!) version of my reply:

Art has varied definitions, I suppose, depending on those doing the defining. As an artist myself, I didn’t always appreciate art, because it was “something I just did” ~ I didn’t consider it a statement or a dramatic emotional expression, or even that it might do something other than possibly give pleasure. I didn’t question why. I didn’t scheme about what I’d do with it. It was simply woven into my being. The same way I have hazel eyes and wild hair; it just is.

That said, my own leaning seems to have been to create art that represented, or imagined, or inspired beauty; even, perhaps, a sense of hope. But that’s me. I know that not all art reflects beauty ~ it may reflect a social condition or an intellectual or philosophical position; it may be confrontational; it may be humorous; it may be elegant or raw; it may be positively ugly to one, pure loveliness to another. It can be painted or crafted or performed; made by hand or machine or both. It can be abstract or figurative; coming from a deep well of spirit, a spark of consciousness, a passing thought or a well-formed concept. Its roots know no economic or cultural boundaries. It transcends, disturbs, balances. It’s a driving force, a balm, an evocateur. It’s so broad as to be nearly undefinable.

But what I’ve come to realize ~ surprisingly late in the game ~ is its value; that a world without art, a world lacking the creative expression that can touch souls in ways otherwise skirted, unseen, unfelt, or trapped, would be a much more dry, sterile place. If there were no paintings, no music-making, no dance, no story-telling, what a very different existence this would be. (The mere thought of its absence feels dark and repressive!)

Art is life, breathing. A passionate, textural experience in this business of being human. An extension of who we are, often with an unwitting power to affect others ~ to inspire, to explore, to uplift, and sometimes, even to heal.

We need it. We need it to buffer the madness; to soften realities or shape new ones. There are such seeds within art, able to plant tonics for the soul, heighten awareness, ignite hearts, raise vibrations. Art is record-keeping and diary-making broadcast from individuals to the world. Shouts in the wilderness, relief from chaos, a connection to the divine. It moves us. It’s entirely personal in origin and yet has the ability to somehow matter to others. It does matter. It matters a lot.

However we define it.

♦

“Art enables us to find ourselves and lose ourselves at the same time”. ~Thomas Merton

June 12, 2014 In appreciation, communication, creativity, design, inspiration, intelligence, life and the universe, philosophy, work and play By Patricia Saxton

Earthly Pursuits

Thank heavens there are people like my really smart nephew with a passion for math and statistics; for people who strive to climb Mt. Everest and people who want to be dentists or race-car drivers. I’d be awful at these things (among others) and quite frankly, am grateful someone else has these bases covered.

When you get right down to it, we’re all creative beings. We’re in a constant state of creation, our atoms and molecules and who knows what other sub-this-or-that particles in perpetual motion. What we do with all that varies, of course, from person to person, just as it varies from flower to flower, bird to bird, bug to little bug. Even a winter tree, barren and cold, is feverishly feeding its roots, growing beneath the ground; each tree uniquely carrying out its creative urge. So there’s all this activity going on, a momentum of endless, ever-evolving, ingenious energy, all the time, day and night, year after year.

Okay, I’ve tired myself out thinking about all that! But, hold on, the good news is I don’t need to go any deeper with it; even if I could, I don’t need to fathom the inner workings of this amazing swirl of life we’re part of. All I have to do is my part. And you, yours.

And more good news – we can choose what we want that part to be. And within those options ~ a whole giant vat of them ~ there’s a leaning, a desire, a knack for certain things more than others. And I would venture that those leanings show up unbidden, no matter where we live or under what circumstances ~ our inner callings will find a way to emerge, and they usually show up when we’re little kids. We arrive in this world pre-packaged with a personal set of affinities. And they never leave.

But then we travel life’s twisting roads, and for one reason or another, may un-do some of those natural tendencies. Some are fortunate to retain the connection, some get lost. Maybe it’s strife, maybe it’s what we think others think we should do; a million detours and distractions, a million at-the-time good reasons that lead one away from that core, that essence. But it’s still there ~ I’m certain of it ~ and it’s never too late (or too soon) to revitalize.

If you’re wondering what that calling is, or if you even have one, ask “what lights you up?” Then tap in and get on with it!

May 16, 2014 In art, creativity, graphic design, inspiration, intelligence, life and the universe, philosophy By Patricia Saxton

Making Art & Making Time

A poster I made based on an Andy Warhol quote recently prompted some lively conversation in a Facebook thread.

One friend commented that she knew many artists, writers and musicians who seem reticent to follow their artistic passion, for a whole bunch of reasons… and how she’d read something years ago that stayed with her ~ something to the effect that if you don’t let your creativity out it will beat you bloody inside.

I tend to agree. With both Warhol and my friend’s observation.

Actually, make that, I pretty much wholeheartedly agree. It’s something I’ve experienced first hand. Never expected to ~ because art, writing, etc was “just something I did”, I flowed merrily along. I took it for granted. But at a time when I became swallowed up in life’s other demands that didn’t allow room for all that stuff I “just did”, I thought I’d implode.

At first I didn’t realize the source of my misery. I didn’t know how inextricably tied my creativity was to my well-being. I even felt guilty when I sat down at a canvas after many months off ~ there were more responsible things I should, and could, be doing! But my spirit was suffocating; I finally understood what was meant when they say an artist is “driven”, that it’s something they “have to do”. And yet, I wasn’t giving myself permission. That awareness came in the unexpected form of an ex – in a rare, remarkable show of support at the time – who actually put it into words. He happened to stop by during that pivotal moment at the easel and said: “Don’t be stupid. Don’t feel guilty. You’re meant to do this. You have to.” It truly hadn’t dawned on me, in quite that way.

That all said, I’ve been fortunate to be able to incorporate a few forms of my creativity into a living all these years ~ but if it’s not part of your daily experience, I’m a huge advocate of doing what you can when you can! It does you no good, nor anyone else, to let creativity smolder and stew inside you. Ideas and inspirations are there to be used and expressed. So if you’re called to, or just want to – do make more art!

Make time. Find time. Carve it out of stone if you must. Maybe a kick in the rear is called for. According to a (rather wonderful) post by Elizabeth Gilbert, setting a timer for half an hour every day can do wonders for creating discipline. Maybe you set aside a whole day. Evenings. Something that’s “doable”. Stick to it.

And one more thing. You have to trust the process.

Maybe you set aside your half hour or half a day and wondrous things flow and you feel great! But, maybe, you stare at a blank page the whole time and feel awful. But guess what? ~ so what! That’s going to happen sometimes, and it’s okay. It really doesn’t mean a thing.

The process you have to trust is that there’s an ebb and flow to creativity just as in all things in nature. We don’t always have control (an understatement, right?!). Best laid plans and all that. The point is to keep going. Exercise the muscle.

You have something to express, and it’ll find its way ~ you just need to give it the time and space to breathe on out, so it doesn’t manifest as tension gone inward. Don’t think ~ “just get it done.”

December 13, 2013 In appreciation, creativity, design, imagination, inspiration, intelligence, life and the universe, poetry, words and language, work and play By Patricia Saxton

Poetry as Ruler of the World

“I say, ‘Get me some poets as managers.’ Poets are our original systems thinkers. They contemplate the world in which we live and feel obligated to interpret, and give expression to it in a way that makes the reader understand how that world runs. Poets, those unheralded systems thinkers, are our true digital thinkers. It is from their midst that I believe we will draw tomorrow’s new business leaders.” ~ Sidney Harman, CEO Multimillionaire of a stereo components company”
― Daniel H. Pink

I stumbled upon this quote this morning, and it reminded me that when I read Daniel Pink’s “A Whole New Mind” a few years back, I was (given what I do) thrilled at his theory that right-brainers will rule the future. There’s a place for the creative, the innovative, the out-of-the-box thinker ~ more than ever! And not just any place, but a valued place. And not just a “dusting off the weariness of life” kind of valuable (although that’s important!), but a place that moves, shakes and shapes our world.

Of course, we all have elements of both; right and left brains. And perhaps because of a genetic blend making me feel fairly balanced in that department, I dislike labeling ~ or assuming, for example, that if someone is logical they aren’t creative, or someone who’s creative can’t be logical, because that’s simply not true. We have tendencies towards one or the other, most definitely, whether innate or learned, but both aspects reside in most people’s brains to some degree, and I presume for good reason. (So when my very creative daughter complains about having to learn Math, I insist that she needs to exercise that part of her brain to stay healthy and wise and grounded, and not end up with both head and feet in the clouds. “Use it or lose it” has real meaning here.)

That said, and putting aside my own personal glee at the prospect of “right brains” leading the future, the theory does have merit, especially when you consider how many previously human-held jobs have been replaced by increasingly efficient, computerized functions – freeing up some of us to be more creative and others to flounder for their bearings.

And while I’m not completely convinced that poets should be managers, I am convinced that there’s enormous opportunity for unlocking the floodgates of our ingenuity when more menial tasks are automated. And I think most people perform better when they’re inspired, rather than watching a clock, regardless if they’re mathematically or artistically driven ~ both of which can be dry or highly creative functions, depending on any given person’s combination of atoms and molecules, environment, and spirit.

To do anything well, to grow, stretch boundaries, reach the moon ~ to live better ~ we need to think big and welcome a fusion of the intuitive with the intellect. And really, it’s always been so, when great things have been achieved, but maybe we’ll honor it more. Maybe poetry will change the world!

So why not change even today ~ open your mind to the galaxy, and get to work.

November 7, 2013 In appreciation, art, creativity, inspiration, intelligence, life and the universe, philosophy By Patricia Saxton

Storytelling and Why We Create

Why do we paint? Or write, or play an instrument or dance? Because we have to. Because if we don’t, we’ll become cranky and irritable. We’ll be rotten company not only for others but ourselves.

Some say it’s because they have a message or a moral or a special meaning to it, but I say it’s instinct. There’s a story that needs telling, and we happen to be the vessels. It’s gut. It’s primal. Like eating or sleeping or hugging. You just gotta do it. It’s for survival of the spirit.

So this is for all who answer that call. The poets, novelists, essayists, and scriptwriters; for the orators, artists and musicians; for all who move our hearts and elevate our minds, take us to new worlds, teach us new ways of thought, bring us tears, laughter, wisdom and peace with the richness of their expression, the telling of stories ~ blessed are the storytellers. Please, keep doing what you’re doing. ~ Patricia

September 12, 2013 In art, books, children's books, craftsmanship, drawing, fine art, illustration, imagination, life and the universe, work and play By Patricia Saxton

How To Avoid The World’s Troubles and Other Annoying Things

“Gordon” / @Patricia Saxton / Book of Dragons

You could, of course, live under a rock. That sounds uncomfortable though; so, no, that wouldn’t do. But with the world teetering on the brink of lord knows what evil, with clever actors paid to persuade us that we have all manner of ill-health and need to take X drug, with things like the disturbing reality that artist Damien Hirst is a really Big Deal and triple bacon cheeseburgers considered a healthy meal, with baseball heroes letting us down and the Kardashians worthy of conversation, avoidance becomes more and more attractive.

It helps to have a meaty project to get lost in. Say, an illustrated book about dragons : ), or creating the world’s best bread. (I’m reading a book in which the main character is a baker, and it sounds rather yummy, all that dough and kneading and freshly baked bread smell.) You could, of course, read, and then just keep reading ~ since books have a marvelous way of taking you places, away from the here and now. You could take up sky-diving or some other sport where there’s no room for thought beyond your own life flashing before your eyes. You could tend puppies or fill your social calendar with bunco matches (I’ve never played bunco – not sure if this is good or bad to admit). You could build something with your own two hands. You could sail around the world.

If you’re serious about avoiding the world’s troubles and other annoying things, whatever you do, do not turn on the tv. Avoid over-indulgence in social media. Stay away from negative people. Then, focus on the good stuff, no matter how small. Practice gratitude. Be kind. Because life is precious and too short to be fretting over things we can’t control. And just maybe it’ll all go away. Maybe it’s all just a ruse. Maybe whatever happens will simply happen with or without inserting our personal energy. It’s very hard, life. Why make it harder.

It’s not that I don’t care. I do care, maybe too much. It’s not about sticking my head in the sand. Trust me, I get riled. But I’ve realized it’s not my calling to fix the world. A friend, sure. Even a whole bunch of them ~ but the entire world is just too much. If only the world at large would stop all the fussing and fighting. If only.

And so, hours spent creating a dragon that will be part of a book that one day soon may be enjoyed by a fresh-faced, bright-eyed little person – maybe a whole lot of bright-eyed little people – seems a good use of my time. Not only that, you can’t think about annoying things when you’re making art. Works for me.

July 28, 2013 In art, inspiration, life and the universe, philosophy By Patricia Saxton

On Doing What You Love

Chatting with a relatively new friend the other day, the subject of passion jumped up front and center. I guess I shouldn’t have been surprised, He’s a musician from a musical family, and we both recognized the kinship that arranges itself between people who are fully immersed in their mediums, driven by some kind of pure but intangible source. The kind of thing you’re not only inspired to do, but “have” to do. The kind of thing that makes your spirit dance and your heart sing.

For my friend and I, it was music and art. But it can be almost anything. You recognize it by the nonexistence of time, by the absence of worry or thought of worldly concerns, by a sense of focus that feels effortless for the most part, and if not effortless, effortlessly enjoyable. You also recognize it when you’ve gone too long without. I know for me, my spirit kicks and screams without proper feedings! I get cranky. I yearn. I hunger. (Hmm, this is reminiscent of needing chocolate… ) I feel out of sync.

It can also arrive at any age. Mine came early (although I didn’t recognize it for what it was for quite a while), but some people don’t discover those things that set their soul on fire until later in life. Doesn’t matter. What does matter is that when you know about it, you use it and you do what you love.

I consider myself a living experiment when it comes to doing what you love. I could have dropped off ages ago and taken a safe position doing any number of things in any number of businesses. In my circumstances it might have even seemed the wiser approach. A child to raise, all of that. But I didn’t, and I can’t imagine having done it any other way. Sure, I could imagine greater financial wealth, along with different people, different situations – and probably different worries too. But this is what I know, this path, the one I’ve followed so far ~ and it’s felt right because I’m not denying my spirit a chunk of what it needs, and in turn what I need in order to thrive.

So whatever drives you, what makes you lose track of time and feel alive in your toes, in your blood and in your bones, find a way to build that into your life. Maybe it’s not just one thing (it’s usually more than one ~ for example, drumming makes my spirit do the Lindy Hop, sends me in orbit somewhere, but I’m okay saving that for special days). Pick one and work it! Do what you love. Don’t say “oh someday…” If you feel passionate ~ or just want to test the waters to see if it’s only your imagination ~ carve out the time, some way, some how. Those things that call to you are there, inside you, for a reason. Go! Do! Shine a light, give breath to what you love! Make your heart sing.

Ah! I get all worked up. I want more singing hearts out there, more smiling, uplifted hearts! Spirits on fire with what floats their boat.

But I’ll climb down from my soapbox now. (And since I’ve not been able to forget about that reference to chocolate, off I go to imbibe. … )

July 1, 2013 In art, creativity, drawing, fine art, illustration, painting, philosophy By Patricia Saxton

Breakthroughs

They happen when we’re looking the other way. They happen when we’re at the end of our proverbial rope. They happen when we’re sleeping. They happen when we’re on a roll. They happen when we’re at the gym or out to dinner or listening to conversation or reading a book or contemplating a blade of grass. There’s no single formula for achieving a breakthrough – whether it’s personal or professional, they almost seem to have a mind of their own. It’s as though everything in your energy field lines up and you’re open and – “wham!” – you’ve made a leap.

The one key requirement is that we have to participate in our own process.

I made such a leap many years ago ~ not the only one, but a memorable one. At the time, in my early twenties, I’d been drawing for, well, pretty much forever. For a while I drew anything that caught my eye ~ faces, hands, gardens, animals, old mills, tools, you name it ~ honing my skills, mastering my craft. Practice was my classroom, and it paid off. But I didn’t feel very “creative”.

Then one day I thought I’d do a self-portrait. All artists have one, right? So I got my art stuff ready, figuring I’d probably do a realistic pencil rendering, like I did with other portraits. But something entirely different came out.

I remember a sense of being in another zone ~ I’d suddenly switched tracks, landed in a different groove ~ and I went with it. And I loved what happened. It wasn’t another well-executed drawing, it was a true expression! I had no trouble understanding what it was about, and it gave me a real high ~ experiencing that leap and knowing I’d unlocked a door that for some reason I’d previously thought inaccessible. This was huge, and what had been “trapped”, all that color and passion, was oozing out, freed from its imagined confines.

As an aside, I also remember that my family never liked this piece. They see their daughter or little sister looking “odd” with paint dripping all over her face, instead of the sweet chocolate-loving swim-team captain they knew who drew pretty pictures of roses and barns. I can understand that too. But for me, it was an intensely marvelous breakthrough that really opened up my creative faucets and if I’d had any doubt about my path, it was diminished right then and there by a few marker lines and watercolor streams. My muses had decided it was time.

Like I said, this wasn’t the only breakthrough moment, but it makes my point well. We all have breakthroughs, in different forms and guises, and I hope when they happen for you, that you participate, listen and let them flow.

April 8, 2013 In art, creativity, life and the universe, peace, philosophy, work and play By Patricia Saxton

How To Slow Down Time

I don’t really have the final answer to this idea of slowing down time, although finding one has been on my mind a lot lately as we all keep moving, moving, moving, keeping up a brisk pace only to pause for dinner or maybe even some sleep. It’s just not right to me, all this constant motion, this world that moves so very fast, this world of instant news (and too much news), a wild sea of images and thoughts and appointments and gadgets, gadgets, gadgets. This very real sense that there isn’t enough time in the day. So I thought, it being Monday, that maybe Pooh has the best idea yet….

It’s a nice idea, isn’t it? But napping intrudes on time; time that moves so quickly, so furiously full. One could argue that a nap leaves you refreshed, better able to accomplish all those things that need accomplishing ~ and I find no fault there. But what about slowing down time so you don’t “need” a nap ~ like Pooh, you could take one just because it feels like a good thing to do?

What about slowing time at will, right here and now, without having to go on holiday to find it, and without detriment to your clients, your families, your peace of mind?

There are only a few ways I know that effectively slow down time. One is a fabulous snowfall ~ but this requires a northern climate and Mother Nature’s whim. The ocean has a similar effect, as does being on a mountaintop.

Another, more “here and now” way, is meditation. And of course, for me, there’s drawing. Or painting or playing the piano… when you’re cocooned in the embrace of creativity, it’s very much like a meditation; time simply doesn’t exist in that space. So I’m not sure if it’s actually slowing down time, or merely alleviating the consciousness of the ongoing tick-tock. But I do know that it’s good for the soul, and that practically amounts to the same thing. I think Pooh might agree.

Oh and there is one other way I know about for slowing down time. What you do is believe you have all the time you need. Saying it out loud can help. With conviction and slow, deep breaths. It’s almost like conspiring with the universe. You may laugh, and that’s fine, because I have no scientific explanation ~ but it’s not all that silly if it works, and it has for me.

And now that I’ve reminded myself of this ability, I just need to harness and command it more often! … After my nap.

November 18, 2012 In art, creativity, graphic design, illustration, intelligence, life and the universe, peace, philosophy By Patricia Saxton

Love, Peace and Madness Rant

Maybe it’s always been so (Charles Dickens is forever chiming in my ear about the best and worst of times…), but this is the only lifetime I’m certain of, and it sure can feel like a world gone mad.

I’ve been in a fairly non-stop “create” mode for a while now. Years, really. It could be a defense mechanism, a “distraction” from the evils of the world. From the seemingly endless, seemingly requisite wars (will we ever stop killing each other?), from energy drinks (hello????… urghhhhh), drugs that fix one problem and cause another (possibly even death), and biased news reporting that offers up panic, fear and division. From leaders who decide who can eat what and when they can eat it.

From a world where we can live vicariously through adventurous “reality shows” and where something as utterly tactless as Jersey Shore becomes a number one tv show (gag me NOW).

There’s more texting and less talking. Entire world views and life events get summed up in 25 characters or less. And forget politics ~ behind the mask of virtual communication, there exists a culture of some of the most righteous, adolescent, hateful language I’ve ever seen, even from people who are otherwise good souls. Hear it, repeat it, blame it, get riled up, feel good about yourself. What?

Then there are the freakishly large storms, ice knocking out the east coast last October, this October, hurricane Sandy shredding NJ and NY. Tsunami’s, earthquakes, fires, devastation, heartbreak, momentary reflections of what matters most.

But there are also amazing people, incredible stories of human love and courage, and ordinary people who choose to uplift over putting down. We have hearts, minds and spirits that, I believe ~ despite what often seems an unraveling of what is right and decent ~ are for the most part inherently good.

And when you put all this together – the best of times, the worst of times ~ I often come up with the simple view that it really is just madness. You can’t truly take it all in without feeling chaos, without feeling torn apart. Ordinarily a fairly balanced individual, I do get incensed. My blood does boil, I cry out for the senselessness of so much going on in the world, the helplessness many feel, the charged, misdirected emotions and the sense that our chains are being yanked.

Then again, maybe it’s all an illusion.

Chaos, madness or illusion, I’ve discovered that a pretty good option for avoiding lunacy is to live under a rock. I used to joke about this, but maybe I’m not kidding after all. I like it there. It’s a pleasant, pleasing place of my own making. I can create to my heart’s content, and have all kinds of wishful thinkings that it might make a positive difference “out there”.

I suppose, since I’m not going to join a fanatical mob of any sort, that it’s my way of fighting evil. Small potatoes really, but it beats getting sucked into the fray. And if what I do might bring one smile, or hit one nerve of warmth and hope ~ even fleetingly ~ I figure it’s not wasted.

I could go ahead and decide it’s all for naught. Pointless. But as an eternal optimist, I’ll figure that it’s worthwhile. Or else go mad.