I didn’t start painting (or doing any kind of art, really) until I was in my mid-20s, because I couldn’t do it perfectly.
Growing up, I was the writer and my brother Drew was the artist. Drew had an intense imagination, and was naturally able to take what was in his mind and translate it visually onto paper or a canvas. I couldn’t draw a stick figure.
It wasn’t until I took him to an acrylic painting class for his birthday one year that I realized a few important things that had somehow never dawned on me before:
- Art was something I could learn
- Art doesn’t have to be perfect
- The process of creating is more important than the end result
Since then, I’ve used art as a tool of exploration — a means to satisfy my curiosity and use a different part of my brain than writing uses. I’ve used it as a tool of reflection and mindfulness, too, letting my overactive “monkey mind” get absorbed in the process (this is so much harder to do with kids, now, I admit!).
I share my creations on social media not because I think they’re perfect, but actually because of how imperfect they are.
I’ve known too many people in my life who remained hung up where I once was — believing that because they’re not “naturals,” because they can’t create something perfect, that it’s not even worth trying.
Creativity of any kind is worthy in and of itself.
We are creators, just as we were created.
Creativity is the spark of the divine within us.
