Art is My Practice

Published on November 7, 2009

Have you heard the fabulous interview yet with Fabeku Fatunmise on Creative Living with Jamie Ridler? OMGoodness!!! I looooove this interview! You have to listen to it—and all the great interviews Jamie did…including the one she did with me HERE!!!

But this interview really hit home with me. Fabeku–who is all into sound and healing sound and good stuff like that, had some great little nuggets of Creative Juicy Wisdom. Things that he said really resonated with my own Creative Juicy Journey!!

One big thing he talked about is how CREATIVITY IS FOR YOU!! And I loved how he referred to art making as a “practice”…because to be completely honest–this is how I feel about my own art and creative journey.

I paint all the time. But I rarely–and that is even being generous by saying that–post my art for sale on my Dirty Footprints Etsy Shop. That’s NOT why I paint…or create…or spend so much energy on Creative Juicy ventures. There’s something else at play here…certainly not monetary.

When I was in my twenties I used to show my art work regularly in galleries. I was always a bit surprised when one of my pieces would sell for hundreds of dollars. But what would happen is that I would start to limit myself in my creativity…because something weird was snapping in my mind like a whip that would force me to stick to those types of paintings that were selling for the big bucks.

Then, when I started to take my teaching more seriously–my ideas and beliefs about art changed drastically. I no longer was worried about galleries or finding representation or having a polished artist statement. I became more attracted to the spiritual, metaphysical, historical even, aspects of art…and how art can shape life….and how art can heal…..and how art can make you happy….and how art can form community….and how art can be pretty and wonderful to live with.

I stopped practicing art…and started making my art my practice.

Since then my practice has evolved. And listening to this interview with Fabeku only confirmed my recent longing to pick up my guitar again. At one time music was just as important to me as art.

I think it’s time to revisit an old friend.

This is my promise to myself….a little Art Every Day Month pact I’m documenting here!