A Plea to Artists In Troubled Times

The beauty of being an Artist is that the more you engage with the creative process, the more your perspective begins to shift.

You start to see the world differently.

A few years back I was driving with a friend of mine whom was also an Artist when a truck pulled up next to us carrying stacks of smashed cars, one on top of the other.

Both of us became mesmerized by the textures, the colors, the way the dented metal created lines and shadows in the most delicious of patterns.

At first we said nothing and just stared with our mouths wide open.  Then once the guy behind us started beeping, that’s all we talked about.

It’s our job as Artists to see the beauty in the mundane, the demolished, the shunned, and the taboo — both in ourselves as well as the world around us.

In doing so we lift the veil of separation that keeps us living in fear and we make room for more light to shine through.

So please dear Artist hearts, please keep painting, dancing, writing sweet poetry, even during troubled times.  Please keep moving through your own dark spaces with the greatest of compassion and patience.

Know that the work you do is noble.  The work you do is crucial.