Art comes in many different sizes, colors, flavors and emotions. There is without a doubt a general mood that is shaped by imaginative works found in museums, galleries and schools. You don’t need a high tech creative project like Stimmungsgasometer in Berlin to capture the general mood of art connoisseurs. A work of art can inspire, frighten, entice, disturb, please, wander and so much more. So this season I challenge you to create art that shares smiles.

There is without a doubt a plethora of dark art, filled with images that inspire dissent, rage or sadness. I myself am guilty of creating a series that captured the ‘darkness’ or ‘nemesis’ within my model’s portraits. These projects are important and come directly from our artistic inner voices, screaming our vision, emotion and pain to the world. Political street art, old-school government propaganda and the frightening images from our darkest minds play a role in shaping the human experience for sure. We are subject to each other’s feelings every day and artists find creative ways to always express them.

But we live in a world of duality…

For every dark image we find a light one. For every political piece of misinformation we find a someecard to make us smile. The shadows find their way into the light in the form of sarcastic humor, while light breaks apart the night with extreme contrast. Whether it is born from humor or love – the art that makes us smile fills our hearts with gratitude, joy, inspiration and contentment. Art that makes us ‘happy’ varies from person to person. So what makes you smile? What art fills your heart with joy?

Take some time this holiday season to share a slice of good old-fashioned happiness with the world. Offer art that inspires love and delight, without an agenda. Bring a smile to the world with some happy art. You’ll be grateful for the uplifting mood and turn that frown on the Stimmungsgasometer’s face upside down.

Remember: grow; learn; conserve; preserve; create; question; educate; change; and free your mind.

About: Kelli Klymenko is an artist, a faculty member and the Marketing & Events Coordinator at Sedona Arts Center: a gathering place where artists can learn, teach, and exhibit their works at the center’s School of the Arts and Fine Art Gallery in uptown Sedona.