Artists get a bad rap because we are seen as non-essential. Sure, you can live without music, movies, paintings, colored patterned fabric, but why would you? It would be a miserable gray existence with only the necessities, and nothing made beautiful just for beauty's sake. The arts are where we find not just things we need, but things we LOVE, that speak to our souls and encourage us to thrive!
I read a post by a teacher who is teaching from home. She had a major realization about the importance of the arts. She is a core teacher who had always seen the "arts" as secondary teaching subject that were non-essential. She has come to realize that now, during this stressful time, we are all relying on the arts, music, movies, painting etc. to help us process the changing world we are experiencing. It is important to our souls. There is something in art that we need.
In college I tried to switch my major to Psychology, I thought I wanted to become a counselor because I enjoy talking through hard things with people. That semester I was full of pent up creativity that needed an outlet! I crocheted scarves and hats for all my family members! I ended up with a minor in Psych, and a major in art. But now I am beginning to think that the two aren't that far apart.
I have a friend at church who is a therapist. She has really been exploring the mind and body connection. She sites a book called “the body keeps the score” and I read an article on it that astounded me. In it they said that the body processes traumatic events in the brain, but too much trauma can actually shut down important sections in the brain necessary to function. That's why people with PTSD have such a hard time fitting back in to jobs and routines. Their brains have reverted to protection mode and are running on backup systems, power save mode.
The interesting thing was that while some portions of the brain actually shut down, the part of the brain that gets activated more is the part that is in control of Creativity and contemplation! So I am wondering, did God mean for the creative process and contemplative practices to be the thing that helps see us through to health?
What if creating art was a path to healing our souls?
For me, art is a way to process things in my spirit. Sometimes God will give me a picture of something that I cannot express with words. I have to sketch it out, paint it out. In painting or sketching I can show others how I see the world, how I feel the world in a language of color and pattern and texture. There is a Holy Spirit language that speaks through these "mediums" to my heart. My goal as an artist is to let God speak through me, in this visual language. I hope that my work brings a little healing and hope to the world around me!
What non-essential things have you found to be essential for your soul during this time?
Comment below, I'd love to hear from you!
-Deborah King