Creating and displaying art can be a very valuable experience. Both the creation process as well as how and what you choose to display in your home is individual and there is no right and wrong. Since starting back at University to study my master in Art Therapy, I have been thinking a lot about the importance of art. Art can bring a lot of value to our lives, both when it is displayed and when it is being created.
Even though I created art almost daily, especially in the beginning of my art career, it was not until I started a master in Art Therapy that I really came to understand the true value of art. Art came to me at a very crucial time in my life. I had recently become a mother for the first time and I was struggling, mainly with how dependent and absolutely helpless my sweet little boy was without me by his side. I started to loose myself and desperately needed to get some me-time back.
After having seen some amazingly inspiring art on Instagram, I made the trip to my local art shop and bought my first bottles of ink. The colours and the movements of the ink had me mesmerised and I could not stop creating. This was the beginning of my art journey, a journey I did not know the importance of - all I knew was that creating was making me feel good. After having undergone quite a bit of art therapeutical training I have now come to understand some of the mechanisms at play.
Creating art taps into an unconscious state of mind in which you can experience free flow. Flow is characterised as a state in which you immerse yourself in the present moment, something that is very hard to experience in our busy lives. Creating art has brought back my sense of self and brought a new purpose to my life, a purpose that is different from my motherhood.
However creating art is not the only way to bring calm into your life. Displaying art can bring joy for many reasons. I personally love displaying art with a sentimental value. I have a small original painting an old friend of mine created. It displays some of my favourite colours and reminds me of my hometown.
Another original is from my trip to Peru where I met my husband. I believe that art can bring you joy and peace whether you create it yourself or you choose to display something someone else have created.
I create art to experience a state of here-and-now. This is the most important aspect of my art practise, however I also wish to give this experience to my collectors. It is my hope that my art brings a sense of calm and peace to the spectator. I wish to bring the experience of being in the present moment into the homes and lives of the people who choose to purchase my art.