Sitting
quietly with my brushes and paints engages my mind and
body in such a way that it allows the opportunity to
pay attention to the ever-present inner monologue that
continually bubbles away in the background. Thoughts,
feelings, concerns, ideas, and daydreams all come and
go throughout the day, arising and falling like the
tide. Sometimes I am caught up in the juicy delights
that pass through my mental stream, tempted by their
insistency and the vividness of their acuity. It's easy
to get lost in storylines. Other times I just sit back
and watch the ebb and flow with detachment, aware that
these thoughts and feelings are never lasting, that
they constantly change like the rippling dance of light
upon water. Whatever my mood or mindset, art-making
is ultimately a meditative process that provides me
with precious moments of contemplation and inner reflection
that have become essential for my sense of centeredness
and well-being.
In
our busy world of temptations, it's easy to get caught
up in trivialities. Take, for example, the greed and
desire spurred by consumer culture and mainstream media,
which causes people to feel they need objects and status
to fill any perceived vacancies in their lives. This
in turn encourages an unwholesome sense of competition
and distrust between ourselves and others, which is
the antithesis of concepts like community and gratitude.
Our busy world of temptations and trivialities breeds
an unhealthy acceptance of contradictions, such as the
disturbing economic disparities between Us and Them
and the mass suffering that ensues as a result. In a
world where people are more concerned over which color
iPod to purchase or squabble over who has the buying
rights to the last Wii on the shelf, it is shockingly
easy to forget that there are millions of other human
beings just like us who lack access to food, shelter,
sanitation, medicine, and political freedom. What separates
us from them? Now more than ever it is necessary to
be aware of what is going through our minds, what governs
our decisions and what motivates the way we function.
If we can distill what's truly important from what is
superfluous and unproductive, we have the power to change
the world for the better.
Art
is my way of making sense of the world. I don't have
the answers to poverty and disease; I don't have the
antidote to greed or malice. I can't offer solutions
or suggestions other than what I myself have witnessed
and experienced in this life. But I can strive to consciously
live a life of meaning and awareness which will hopefully
benefit myself and others. My art is an offering to
the world, for those who may find harmony, solace, or
inspiration in my drawings and paintings. Art-making
can be healing and therapeutic for both the creator
and the observer. It reveals inner worlds and unites
them with the outer in a tangible, visible form, blurring
distinctions and transcending boundaries. (I often forget
where my Self ends and the pencil begins, and the artwork
is inseparable from the visions in my mind.) Art is
a way of sharing and connecting, helping us realize
our similarities while celebrating our differences.
Everyone has a story to share and something to contribute
to the world. I create art to share my story.
