I’ve had an eventful and spectacular past few weeks/months. You may have even noticed this due to the tumbleweeds and dust blowing around this blog. The fact is, I’ve been busy designing catalogs, ads and posters for the Arts Center while getting extra creative before my wedding this past weekend. Which brings me to the title of this blog – It’s a Wonderful Life…
I’ve spent a lot of time discussing the beauty of Sedona and the remarkable inspiration we find here. We all know that the natural surrounding environment is conducive to creative genius by default. The fact however, is that there’s beauty in everything – everywhere you look. Creativity shouldn’t be restricted to fantastical scenery or the emotional state of our imaginative moods. Beauty also doesn’t have to be anything pristine or perfect. I find beauty in the natural decay of a cactus along a trail. I can see miraculous inspiration within emotional upheavals that motivate us to express ourselves contrarily. The world is full of creative possibilities and inspiration – we just have to be open to accept it.
There is contrast in every corner of our lives. The dark and the light as they say, play a prominent role in everything we do. Our inventiveness shouldn’t’ be limited to just simple aesthetic pleasure. Our art should make a statement about who or what we experience throughout life. Sometimes art isn’t pretty (I’ve heard that a thousand times), but does it have to be? Is it supposed to be? Art is an expression of the soul and sometimes the soul is jam-packed with darkness. Our life experiences aren’t sugarcoated; therefore we shouldn’t sugarcoat our art (unless you’re a pastry chef of course).
The definition of art has been debated for centuries (no, seriously, it has – look it up), but for most it’s subjective. In a nutshell, art in its oldest Latin form roughly translates to “skill” or “craft.” The word art can describe several things but it’s our own unique expression that defines it most perfectly. For most of us, art is an “expression” of who we are at the moment of its creation. We skillfully transform the materials of this world to share our inner soul with the world. The truth is, art is not always “the use of skill and imagination in the creation of aesthetic objects…” as the Encyclopedia Britannica suggests. Sometimes art is simply an experience.
Life is beautiful. It’s filled with joy, hate, laughter, tears, and love. We gain; we lose and find poverty residing next to abundance wherever we look. There is no good or evil, there is only experience. There are ideals and wishes, splattered with reality and hope. Our nature is questionable at times and valiant at others. Regardless of the rights or wrongs you see in this world, the natural wonder of it all is truly beautiful. Within this beauty we are able to define ourselves and allow others to experience our expressions by way of our art.
My point behind all this is very simple. It’s a wonderful life. Enjoy it, create in it, play in it and find happiness in all that you do. Allow all of life (the good and the bad alike) to help shape the world around you. Accept that not everything will always turn out as perfect as my wedding did and life will be as easy as pie. Remember to: 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.
