Have you ever noticed that art sometimes mutates right before our very eyes? We’ve seen art recycled, replaced, redesigned and transformed into countless forms. From sculptures that come alive, to drawings that become digital animations our art can be anything we want it to be. I, for instance, have had a dream that transformed into a short story, which evolved into a novel that is comfortably resting as a screenplay. But there’s no telling where it will go next… a feature film? A series? The sky isn’t even the limit for some of these as we contemplate exploring new worlds in the not-to-distant future.

 I find it hard to sometimes either complete a particular work (such as a nebula painting in my kitchen that very slowly finds new stars and gas clouds appear over the course of two months now), or to be happy with the final form my art has taken. As a person, I am always evolving my process, thoughts and views to better suit the world I find myself in – so naturally, my art has to grow with me. If it doesn’t, then it’s lost in a pile of rubbish or tossed into a warm winter fire (which isn’t a bad transformation for some art). But it’s important for me to always recognize the various spaces my art can occupy. This is what helps me grow as an artist and a person.

 Too often I see artists stuck in one genre or style, aiming to please a select crowd in order to survive. Many times this happens simply to avoid being a ‘starving artist’ and to fill a particular void. For me, however, it’s a stagnation that leads to an early artist’s demise. I need variety and change to allow my creative wings to unfold. If my creations don’t come in thirty different flavors and colors, then it just doesn’t make the cut for me. But these are just the details. But life is in the details, isn’t it? We are all subject to them in one form or another and they have been reinvented a thousand times, a hundred thousand times before evolving into their perfect ends.

 My point to all of this is a suggestion: explore variety and change. If you have a great idea, then don’t let it get stuck in one form. Imagine the endless options that your dream can take. See your vision through some of these changes and allow it to evolve into its endless forms. There’s no telling what you may stumble upon in your journey. My art has been drenched in spirituality, mystery, fantasy, science and folly. What will you express through your art?

 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.