Art and This Thing Called Mind
Do you feel a general unrest? If you do, you are not alone. The recent events around the world where humans are fighting diseases, climate changes, humanitarian and racial issues have left us with a languish. I read a very intelligent article recently where this void was explained well. It is easy to define the high point as a drive or urge or passion to do simple everyday things. Low point being the lack of interest, lethargy or jadedness towards most of the things you go through on a daily basis.
Mind is like a complex painting, for me like modern art. Okay, jokes aside there are many layers to its functioning. For me expressing an emotion is as important as feeling it. As an extrovert myself, the eagerness and compulsion to articulate every thought is natural. So I have fallen back to art when I have been through my lows.
Personal circumstances often shape what you see through art. In other words, art is a great conduit for expression. Many people use their inner struggles as an inspiration for their art.
People who are not verbally expressive of their thoughts and feelings can channel their emotions by painting an artwork that is expressive of their feelings.
In fact, many of my clients often relate to an emotion that they connect with through my art based on whatever circumstances they are in. I have mentioned this many times but I genuinely feel that if the sole purpose is to help someone heal from mental and physical health issues then working with an artist to transfer those triggers might be a worthwhile effort. The best way to describe it is that art allows you to feel the feeling. For me at least it's been a great source of comfort during trying times.
As a teenager, growing up I remember the times when I used to sit curled up in my bed in our one bedroom apartment in India doodling through pages and pages of my wide ruled notebook expressing my anger, frustration, ecstasy, wonder, and insecurity. I hope to share some of those with you all in the future. You will be amazed at how accurately it captured the frame of mind at that point in time. Being able to look at something I created, produced, and refined is a tangible demonstration that things can get better with time and effort. It is an incredible confidence booster for those formative years. For me these expressions have helped me shape how I see the world today and through my teenager’s eyes.
And when I say art I am referring to all forms of art. Of course, I am biased to visual art but other forms have the same effect too. Even within visual art the whole concept of street art and expressions through that medium is mind-boggling. I can relate to some graffiti or mural artists who have shared a passion for a black and white or the darker aesthetic. It helps me communicate my dreams and visuals from my head to the audience. Sometimes this darker aesthetic extends beyond physical colors and into the style of art which is often represented as a severe struggle or a turmoil. Going back to what I mentioned at the beginning, for me my art is not just about representing a void or a loss or turbulence but a suggestion to set the audience on a pursuit of purpose and a positive outcome. Nothing is permanent including your state of mind. So why let it meander when you can channel it to your desired behavior? Go on try it...until next time!