Sometimes something is so close to you, you’re unable to see it objectively. While preparing to launch my book Confessions of a Middle-Aged Hippie in late 2013, I had an opportunity to re-examine my personal biography, and revisit some of those significant pieces that have contributed to who I am, including the role art played.
Back in 2001, I was living with a somewhat undiagnosable physical illness that had me weighing in at 89 lbs, suffering from severe and crippling malnutrition. Those around me were divided on if I would survive. The consensus was, “this could go either way.” Synchronistically I found Arscura-School for Living Art and embarked on a journey back to health. A journey using “art” as a way to rediscover who I had been to now and who I could become in my future.
This is something I share candidly in my book—art contributed to saving my life. Literally. Through the art, I arrived at a place of inner knowing and peace, embodied so eloquently in the words of the Dalai Lama: “We can never obtain peace in the outer world, until we make peace with ourselves.”
While organizing an initiative around my book launch, I was introduced to some very important work being done in the world. Work that embodies the hippie values of peace and the arts. Two values that reminded me of my own journey and align perfectly with who I am and what I stand for in world.
Making Art, Creating Peace
First, I was led to the Children’s Peace Theatre, who have done inspiring work since 2000, creating a culture of peace among children and youth, using art, theatre and music. They instill in their participants a “peace is possible” sensibility and ask us all some interesting questions to reflect on.
“As artists, how do we inspire our children and youth to take up the practice of peace? If nothing else, we must remember that art is derived from the freeing up of all boundaries combined with the ability to imagine something new, and the ability to recognize the humanity of others. Who else, therefore, is better suited than the artist to inspire alternatives and alternative ways of thinking?“
This powerfully mirrors my personal experience. Art freed me to transform from the inside out, allowing me to reinvent an unexpected and beautiful future by unleashing my inner artist.
I questioned: Is it possible that creativity expressed through the arts, is a path to peace? It became very clear to me that I do see the arts as an important road to peace. I envisioned a simple idea, “paintbrushes for peace” and imagined what might happen if we offered children or adults a paintbrush and asked them to engage their creativity to ignite new possibilities for the world.
It seemed that if we could take the frustration and separation people experience in our current world, which often leads to isolation and violence, and invite them into a community to make art together, we’d foster a sense of belonging and connectedness. Through this, some magical new creation would become possible.
Next, I was synchronistically led to ArtHeart, who’s been working in the Regent Park community of Toronto for over 20 years, offering free year-round drop-in art programmes, art education and art materials for children, youth and adults. They also serve up free meals to all participants, true to their philosophy of “no starving artists”.
Art Heals Social Differences
Their programmes use art as a vehicle to address child poverty, homelessness, lack of employment and mental health issues, while helping to develop self-esteem, creativity, life-skills and learning. They continue to foster the arts in a community that can’t otherwise afford access to making art and being creative. ArtHeart remains unique, as it is the only visual arts organization in the community. Their successes are sincerely remarkable.
With more and more school arts’ budgets being cut, what ArtHeart offers is invaluable. I believe we need more funds for programmes that foster creativity, not less. How is it that we’ve allowed ourselves to create a world where the majority of people do not have access to expressing their creativity through making art? ArtHeart’s powerful work is featured in many ways, at many events, amazing people by showing the positive impact of bringing art to the community.
Creativity is the New Literacy
Photographer Chase Jarvis’ talk “Creativity is the new literacy” at the 2013 World Domination Summit in Portland, sparked me. He presented the idea that as human beings we’re all hardwired for both language and creativity. There have been many studies examining creativity, exploring if it is a natural inborn talent, or if we acquire it.
Like Chase, I believe that we are all creative and that it’s often stifled early on in many educational systems. Creativity is at the heart of what it means to be human. He elaborated that the world we live in is facing a “crisis of creativity” with the solutions to all our problems based on human creative potential.
Can Creativity Save the World?
So if creativity is innate to who we are as humans, and the solutions to our world problems can be found in creativity, then engaging our individual creative muscle through art and music could be a viable path to peace.
Then I stumbled upon an article by the brilliant Charles Eisenstein called “Bombs, Badguys and the Brink of Peace“, which speaks volumes, even more so with the world events we are witnessing today.
“We are experiencing today the emergence on a mass scale of ecological consciousness. No longer is the world an arena of struggle from which man emerges triumphant. We now see that the defeat of any species is the defeat of all; that the paving over of one habitat deadens something in all of us. The ecological crisis is teaching us that the good life does not come through winning the war against the Other.”
With the recent world reaction to the atrocities, Eisenstein went on to say,
“Translating this awareness into geopolitics, we become less prone to believe that the solution to the problem is to overthrow the bad guy. That, or some lesser version of it – to intimidate, warn, punish, deter, draw a “red line,” etc. – is a perception of a world populated by separate and competing Others. And we are weary of that. We are awakening to the reality that “bad guys” are created by their context, and that that context includes ourselves.”
The Power of Community
Like Eisenstein, many of us believe we are remembering the necessity of being part of community, reawakening to the value of connectedness, versus the breakdown brought about by separation. We’re entering a new era of understanding, transforming old beliefs to create new paradigms of possibility. If we continue to bring the past into the present, we’re limited to create the same future, denying ourselves the freedom to generate something totally new.
Perhaps this is what art and music can bring to the conversation. They are tools to paving a road to peace. They engage and include, rather than isolate and separate. Maybe we’re arriving at that magical tipping point of change. Albert Einstein said it so clearly “No problem can be solved from the same level of consciousness that created it.”
It feels perfect to end here with words from John Lennon’s timeless song Imagine. “You may say I’m a dreamer, but I’m not the only one. I hope some day you’ll join us. And the world will live as one.” Here’s to creativity, peace and the arts! What kind of world are you committed to creating?
photo of Chase Jarvis: Armosa Studios
Agree, I think music and art and creativity can do much for a persons soul and well-being and that it feeds the soul. However, music and art also are often very individualistic art forms and not much for creating community, artists and musicians are often very individualsitic people. While I think community could be one way to lead to a more peaceful world.:-)
I agree that music and art can be solitary pursuits, Katarina, however, having created both in a group setting, I know how powerful the experience can be. There are a lot of initiatives around the world who are using the arts (music, dance, acting, painting) as peace building initiatives. When you engage in the arts, you are coming from a soul place and that is what brings people together and create possible change.
Hi Beverley,
As always, I enjoyed reading your post. Sadly, I did not realize that I was a creative until I had my MBA degree. The signs were there when I was younger; however, my parents did not recognize and encourage them.
I had an art business several years ago. I loved acquiring and sharing the pieces and, if you were to see my home, you’d probably figure out that I was my best client 😉
I’d been in a hurry all my life, even as a child, only to realize being in a hurry actually slowed me down. Art and playing the piano are the two things that initially got me to live a slower life. It takes conscious effort and patience to move in the direction of stillness and solitude and we human beings lean into chaos, noise and distraction more often than we’d like to admit. And let’s face it, we don’t exactly live in a Buddhist temple, tucked away far from civilization and surrounded by the quiet of Mother Nature, so that we can actively focus on quieting the noise.
We lead busy lives and a lot of people are convinced that they don’t have “time” for stillness and solitude even via art.
I think your story of your artistic inclinations not being recognized by your parents, is very true for many young people, Rachel. As my daughter went to a performing arts school, I saw how many parents, especially of boys, were fearful their kids wouldn’t have the opportunity to be successful if they majored in the arts. Sad commentary and belief.
It’s wonderful to hear how you came into your own and found art and playing the piano were your keys to slowing down in life. That is such a powerful lesson to learn from the arts. To your point about our modern world and the distractions it brings, using not having time as a reason for now finding our own stillness and inner quiet, robs those people of truly being in touch and finding what at the core of their being, is what moves them and inspires them to live life being fully expressed. Many thanks for sharing so eloquently about your own journey!
I was very fortunate as a child that my Mother exposed me to the arts. I never felt a talent for it, but a deep appreciation. In college, I took an art history class which was outside of my major. A light bulb went on, and I later majored in art history in graduate school. We are so much in need of bringing the arts back into schools again, and I was very impressed to hear about your ArtHeart program in Toronto. We are beginning to recognize how important creativity plays a role not only in a personal development but also as a peaceful force in our community. Thank you for sharing your deeply enriching and creative experiences, Beverley.
How fortunate you are to have had your Mother exposed you to the arts when you were a child. So many children don’t have that opportunity and yet, I believe it is what our world needs more of, not less of. I love hearing about your history of majoring in art history in graduate school too. Yes, we desperately need to bring the arts back into public schools. ArtHeart is a wonderful community programme and again, is always in need of funding to keep their initiative going. I do hope we as a society are recognizing how important fostering creativity is to us personally, and to our society as a whole. I strongly believe that creativity is a viable path to peace and am encouraged to see how many initiatives there are around the world who use the arts in peace building. Thank you for always appreciating my writing and my sharing of my experiences. It means a lot to know that what I share is considered deeply enriching to those who read it.
Love love love this yes Art is so much more than painting , art is around us every day in nature and we all have a creativity within us when we are given the opportuntiy to dicover that or as I say untap 🙂 xx
Lovely Suzie! I know how important art is in your life and how you see it in the world everywhere around you. It is much more than just painting, it is life itself for me. We all have the capacity to create and once we find our own unique way of doing that, we contribute greatly to our wellbeing and to the wellbeing of the world! 🙂 xo
I am all in for creativity and the arts saving the world! I teach an art class once a month at my son’s Montessori school… I plan to make it more often this fall. Painting is so meditative for me. I love it, and need it!
Thanks for being an advocate for creativity and the arts as a way to save the world, Kimberly! It is wonderful to be able to share this with young children in the teaching capacity. Yes, I know that painting is very meditative and very healing, so the more we do it, the better for our inner peace and our soul! Hope you get to do more painting in your life too.
Great article, thank you, Beverley! I never considered myself “creative” in a sense that I cannot draw a box 🙂 let along a flower… But with age I started to feel a strange need to express the miracles of nature around me… So many times I told myself that when I “have time” 🙂 I should start taking classes and learn how to draw… This inability to draw or paint made me feel that I am not creative, which is so wrong. I love colors and am pretty good with design (cloth and interior/exterior), I always notice the beauty around me and love to go to museums and art exhibitions… So, I finally started to feel creative! 🙂 How ironic that it only took me 50 something years 🙂 Thank you for the inspiration!
Thanks so much for your lovely comment, Millen! I find that so many people don’t see themselves as creative in the traditional sense of creating art, yet each of us is creative, when we allow ourselves to express what our creativity looks like. I love hearing that you set aside the notion that being able to draw is a key component to being artistic and how you’ve found your way through colour and design to express the beauty you see around you. Just tapping into that part of yourself, does indeed make you feel creative. As you know, it isn’t how long it takes, it is the journey getting there and knowing you’ve finally arrived. Thanks so much for sharing a bit of your own journey to your creative self! 🙂
What an uplifting article Beverley. I am an artist and so was my dad. Neither of us ever chose to formally make a living from it, but being creative is a part of everything I do from writing to the look of my website to the image quotations I design. Your story is inspiring, and I know there are many programs such as those you mention where art is used to bring a voice to critical issues and help people through all types of challenges in their lives. Thanks for the inspiration!
It is wonderful to hear that you are expressing your inner artist in all areas of your life, Marquita. How lovely to have had a father who was also an artist. As I’ve learned, we all have that inner artist within us and it is a matter of flexing our creative muscle to see how we want to express it in the world. I am similar to you in that my writing and the visual look of everything I share with the world is very important to me too. I have been doing more research on peacebuilding initiatives that use the arts as their foundation for collaboration and that makes me so hopeful that positive changes are on their way. Yes, art has the ability to heal and transform and I am so happy you experience that in your own life as well! I appreciate knowing you found this post inspirational!
The arrival of this very hopeful post is a timely reminder for me. I’ve always looked for the “ways we are alike” rather than the aggressive “othering” I see around me. I need to change my focus. Thank you.
Thank you so much for that very insightful reflection, Andrea. I truly believe that through our creativity we can collaborate and share the ways we are alike. I appreciate knowing you found this post hopeful and that it came at a good time for you. Thank you for that.
I believe our creativity is the heart of our divinity, and fully agree with you that it is also within it that the solutions to the problems of our time (and every time!) are to be found. We are all creative beings and our greatest work of art our life, and what a beautiful one you are weaving.
Thank you so much for your understanding comment, Julia. I also believe that creativity is our birthright and that it holds the solutions to all of the issues we are facing in our world today. We are indeed all creative beings and I also say that our lives are an ever evolving work of art. I appreciate your lovely comment about the life I am weaving.
Great post as always Beverley. I distinctly recall the first time I heard this Einstein quote (or at least the first time that it woke me up) “No problem can be solved from the same level of consciousness that created it.” Hearing it perked up my eyes, gave me something to contemplate on a deeper level and provided me an awareness of my own growth and seeking.
That’s a beautiful memory you shared Teresa. I think this quote is incredibly powerful and the fact that it had such a deep impact on you, is wonderful. It is worth contemplating how much this offers us as we are on our path of growth and development. Happy you enjoyed the post too!
This is a wonderful post, Beverley, as it expresses something that many people intuitively understand and agree with without having put it in words – that has been your role and by doing it you add needed gravitas to the topic which might otherwise be trivialized and pushed aside, which, as you so rightly point out, has been done in many school systems, and by society at large.
I love “paintbrushes for peace” and I see it as an important contribution to our future. I think that many people – at every societal level – feel quite disempowered. The creative act is empowerment without domination. I love the ideas this post brings out. Thank you, Beverley! xo, Reba
Thanks for your passionate comment Reba! Yes, to everything you are recognizing and acknowledging in this post. The school system has diminished the power of the arts in our culture and unfortunately, our future generations are missing out on developing their inner “artist”. I’m happy you like my idea for “paintbrushes for peace” and I also see how important an idea it could be. I’ve researched many initiatives around the world who are using the arts in a collaborative way as a peacebuilding opportunity. That would make me so very happy! I am a stand for the arts and peace. I love how you shared that the creative act is empowerment without domination. What a wonderful way to share that idea. Thank you for really getting this! It means a lot to me. xo
I agree and use art as healing as well. That and creative play are super wonderful. Thank you sharing your experience.
That is lovely to hear Natasha! Yes to both art and creative play. Both of these access a part of ourselves that has the potential to transform and heal. Thanks for sharing with us too.
I used to interpret the word art to mean painting. Then my vision expanded an art meant everything creatively expressed. Art is all around us. Beth has always been artistic, dancer, choreographer, performer and you can see in her jewelry designs originality and imagination. The greatest teacher is nature and all we have to do is observe. I do believe people can come together thru artistic collaboration, still not sure it can bring about world peace.
It’s interesting you say that about art meaning painting, Roslyn, as one of our universities has changed the name of their Fine Arts department because it is too limiting. It is now, “School of the Arts, Media, Performance & Design”, so it encompasses a much broader understanding of the arts. Your daughter sounds like a true creative and it is wonderful she explored so many aspects of her creativity. You do see it in her jewelry indeed. Her imagination shines through in her original pieces. I also agree with you about nature being a wonderful teacher. The natural world is a magnificent example of divine art. You’d be amazed to see all the arts initiatives around that world that are using art, music, dance, drama as a way to create community with peace as their goal. It is a project I am so very interested and aligned with myself.
Art really does cross all perceived differences. And becomes something emotionally moving, beautiful and powerful. Yes, it’s true that many people have natural talent, but everyone is capable of creating something. I’ve been tapping more into my creativity with my business and it’s exciting to see how people connect with my images and designs. We have no race, gender, color or economic barriers when we create something together. So much can be said through art, Beverley.
I so agree with you Meghan! Yes, everyone has the inner “artist” and has the ability to create..something. I think people stop themselves because of unfounded beliefs about their abilities. It’s wonderful to hear that you are tapping into your creativity and bringing that into your business through your images and designs. That is wonderful and something I love seeing too! Creating in collaboration is such a powerful way to build community and my wish is that we use the idea of creative collaboration to heal our world’s issues.
You give me hope, Beverley. Thank you. This article was like a gift to me; it voices things I’ve believed for a long time. In line with the thought that ‘the soul speaks in color,’ it is interesting to listen to math savants who describe their genius with numbers tightly integrated with color.
Thanks for your lovely comment, Joan. I appreciate hearing that this piece affirmed a hope in you and aligns with things you believe. Love how you aligned the quote “the soul speaks in colour” with the idea that math savants speak of their genius in both numbers and colours.
While I am creative, I am not very artsy fartsy (not to be meant in a derogatory manor either) but it’s just not me… give me lines to stay in, something to create with instructions… I’m on it.. but when it comes to free flow… I suck. Further, that’s just not my outlet but love that those that are creative CAN use it.
Creativity expresses in different ways in each of us, Kristen. It doesn’t have to be through “artsy” type things, it just means to let your creativity flow in whatever endeavours you are passionate about. We are all supporting each other to live from a place of creativity! It is our future.
When my girls where young (grade school) I was so frustrated that the public school systems continuously cutback on all the arts. How is one suppose to learn about communication, acceptance of others, expressing yourself and simply enjoying the beauty in paintings, music, language, etc.
Both of my girls are very imaginative & creative. One plays the piano, guitar, sings, and dances. The other has such a gift for languages and writing & also plays the piano. Even when young their favorite games were not board games purchased at Toy R Us, but rather their own made up lands filled with unique characters and plots.
So, when my oldest entered kindergarten, the teacher told me she was concerned that she wouldn’t be able to “take care of herself” around the other kids because she was shy and polite. Then, picture day came and the photographer was late, the kids were getting restless and guess who stepped up to the plate; my daughter. She got the whole class to listen to her tell a story of this mythical land, then proceeded to give them all roles to play (including lines and all) and they acted out her story. The teacher was amazed at what this shy little girl was able to accomplish as she brought the class together with her story. FYI, she was also the youngest and smallest in the class.
Extremely proud moment for mom but also a very important lesson in the connection between the arts, imagination and getting along with others.
Wonderful article as always Beverley
Absolutely LOVE this story you shared about your daughter, Lisa! Amazing how allowing imagination and creativity to flourish, it somehow has the ability to unite and connect communities. I’m also very sad at how the arts budgets continue to be cut at the public school level. Because of this, I sent my daughter to a performing arts school, (although still within the public school system), but the children had to auction to get in. They had classes in music, dance, acting and I believe they were some of my daughter’s best school moments. She was not an academic, so we encouraged her to be a creative. Parents of boys were much less likely to be so encouraging, concerned about future employment for their sons, believing that people in the arts, can’t make a living. I feel we are robbing our children and our world by not encouraging creativity and the arts from an early age. Your example is so beautiful and I know at Waldorf schools this would be something that would be so supported and encouraged. It is lovely to hear how creative and involved in the arts your daughters are. I can feel from the way you describe them, that they are charming, engaged, intelligent and imaginative and also very well-rounded in their interests and in their ability to contribute and help to build community. Thanks so much again for taking the time to share! I appreciate that you enjoyed this article too.
I think having an outlet for one’s creative passions is essential to life. Mine is counted cross stitch. It relaxes, yet stimulates me. My grandmother taught me how to stitch. She also painted watercolors; I have several hanging on my walls at home.
Lovely, Carol. How nice that you have some of your grandmother’s water-colour paintings. Such a lovely way to remember her and honour her art. I am not that familiar with counted cross stitch, but I love hearing that it is both relaxing and stimulating. It sounds like you really enjoy it and that is your way to express your creativity.
Great piece Beverley. Art is a great way to communicate, and in my eyes open up conversations between people. Art is healing, although sadly many people feel that if they can’t draw they are not artistic…there are so many ways to generate art, it is freeing and does create peace
One thing I have learned is that everyone has an inner artist, Lisa. Like you said, so many people stop themselves because of preconceived and untrue beliefs about whether they are or are not, artistic. It is sad, as those people are robbing themselves of having a very enriching experience. Yes, there are so many ways to create art and my wish is that more people find their way, as I believe it will bring both inner peace and outer peace to the world.
I think art plays a huge role in attaining inner peace. When my mom was dying, I took to using adult coloring books. It was a great way to refocus my energy and soothing to my soul at the same time. Since she passed away, I have found that coloring doesn’t engage me the way it used to. So I look to the art created by nature and let that bring me peace.
Thanks so much for sharing this Jackie! Yes, at different times in our lives there are different ways to express our creativity. It could be art, music, dancing, writing and just being in nature is so inspirational as well. Nature is a wonderful way to observe the beauty and to allow ourselves to come back to a place of inner peace.
I have always loved the creative arts, both doing and observing. It is wonderful how uninhibited little children are when they are given the opportunity to paint, sing and act. It is too bad that often they don’t have the chance to continue to create.
I enjoyed reading about all of the examples you gave. Love the concept that “The soul speaks in color.”
So true about little children and how uninhibited they are, Beth. Children are coming from a place of pure inspiration and imagination and don’t hold back, just expressing themselves freely in whatever ways they want to. Engaging them in the arts at an early age is a wonderful way to encourage their creativity. Yes, to painting, singing and acting. Even playing.
Happy you enjoyed the examples I gave in this piece and yes, as I’ve learned, the soul does speak in colour, which is why it is a wonderful way to allow your soul to be fully expressed.
What a lovely post. When I was a teen I created a support group for teens. We had a few people in the group and went to various places together. It was fun. Doing something to expand the world we live in doesn’t have to be grand.
Thanks Sabrina! Happy you enjoyed the post. And how lovely to hear about the support group fro teens that you created when you were a teen. Anything we do to enrich and expand the world, is always a wonderful way to be of service in the world. Appreciate you sharing that.
Oh, Beverley, I so love this! I believe into my soul in peace through culture, which at its base is creativity. I work with a wonderful author, Efiong Etuk, whose book: Creativity: Revealing the Truth about Human Nature, actually proves what you’re saying here. He’s the director, fittingly, of the Global Creativity Network as well.
It’s not the great minds of science that will necessarily save us, but the vast wealth of creativity that springs up within us all.
Thank you for this!
Thank you so much for sharing your own understanding of how creativity is the hope for our future. What a wonderful person Efiong Etuk sounds like, Susan. I love the essence of who he is and what he stands for in the world. I will definitely check out his book and his Global Creativity Network. It gives me hope, that many of us are seeing how expressing our creativity is the hope for the future. We need a balance of science and humanity and creativity to really balance and change this place called planet Earth! Thanks again for adding to this conversation about creativity, inner peace…and the arts!
Art as a means of self-expression can take many forms, Beverley. I’ve noticed that our connection with our Inner Self gets expressed in different ways as we travel through life. When I was younger, it was making collages (what they call Vision Boards with a purpose nowadays) and jam jars couldn’t be thrown away because i’d paint them or create pencil holders and gift them away. Somewhere along the line I started to paint like my artist Mom and then got into candle making. Nowadays I write.
When I read your post, I started thinking about creativity and inner peace and realized that each form of self expression related to a phase of life when a particular art or craft form was the best for my soul connection. Thank you for this amazing evergreen post.
Thanks so much for your own reflections on how art has been expressed for you through your life. I agree that it morphs and changes as we enter different phases of the life journey. I always loved to colour as a child, but never saw myself as a visual artist, because I was more involved in writing and music. It is wonderful to hear about your childhood projects and how you ultimately followed your mother’s lead, inspired to paint like her. Wonderful! Writing is a great form of expression, although I do realize that creating art, offers its own rewards and soul advantages.
I’m happy this post had you thinking about creativity and inner peace and yes, during each phase of life, we are offered the opportunity to express ourselves in a way that speaks to us in that moment. I appreciate hearing that you enjoyed this always evergreen post too!
This article is very close to my heart Beverley.I have seen through my teaching how art brings people together and can help them work as a team. It also gives them a sense of freedom, a safe way to communicate. You are right, art engages and includes. Tapping into our own creativity helps us find peace from within. If everyone did this the possibilities are endless.
Love how you share your own personal experiences with the power of art to connect and include people, Tami. Yes, imagine if we could engage more people in creative and collaborate “art” projects…what a wonderful world we would create. This is one of the reasons I am so pro social art. You can bring together people who have no art experience and yet as a group, something magical always emerges. Creativity expressed in any way through the arts, I also believe is a path to inner peace. And then to hopefully peace in the world around us.
Loved this piece. A little known secret about me is that I write poetry, sketch, and paint watercolors. I’ve even won awards. Such a differently brained function than the very tech savvy, no-nonsense business coach most know of me. My art is absolutely a release. It is my chance to be unapologetically me.
You sound like you are truly a left and right brain balanced individual Niquenya. I am always happy to hear about people who engage both the arts and the business sides of themselves. The world can use more of this, especially in times when things are skewed towards one way or the other. Art is truly healing and I get how it allows you to express the inner you and share that with others. Interesting and so happy you shared this, as I believe this is an important component to creating a well-rounded and fulfilling life!
Creativity, art and expression are such an important part of life and it something that is “taught out of us”. I don’t know if you know of Sir Ken Robinson, he has been heavily involved in trying to get education systems, particularly in England, to foster teaching creativity and individuality. I once had the opportunity to hear him speak and it was great.
“You can be creative in anything – in math, science, engineering, philosophy – as much as you can in music or in painting or in dance.” – Sir Ken Robinson.
If you believe that then creativity can and will change the world. Image!
I have seen the Sir Ken Robinson Ted Talk, Heather, and I can see why it is their most watched talk of all time. His message is very important as we need to support creativity in whatever form it shows up. Creativity is the possible key to transforming old problems to create new solutions. I imagine hearing him speak was very inspiring and what a great motivator for us all to get out of our complacency and into our creativity. Yes to being creative in any area you choose to. Love that quote. And I do believe that so count me in with the creatives who are ready to change the world.
Hi Beverley!
Great expression of love in this very post of yours, and how wonderful to highlight the wonderful work of coming together through art, and creating a new, beautiful world, full of compassion. It’s the healthy way to be. I love it. Best 🙂
As always, thank you so much Renee. I really appreciate your support and always feel you get my message at a heart level. When we come together in any creative activity we have the power to join and creative something new. As you said, a new and beautiful and compassionate world is ours to create. So happy you see this and thank you for sharing too. 🙂
Hello Beverley,
I have to say that I really enjoyed your post this week 🙂 It is always a good thing to reevaluate your life after something happens that helps us realize that we are much stronger than we ever thought 🙂 Thanks for sharing your story and helping others to see that you can find inner peace through some form of art as it is an expression of who you are 🙂
You are awesome 🙂
Thanks so much Joan. It is always wonderful to hear that something I write interests others, and that they enjoyed it, especially when it comes to topics near and dear to my heart like this one is. I truly do believe that art has the power to transform and through this inner transformation the possibility to transform the issues of the world become grander. Appreciate your enthusiasm and adding your voice to the conversations. Art is truly an expression of who we are, so I love to encourage people to flex their creative muscle and MAKE ART! 🙂
Wow, great article and I love it so much! Thank you for sharing, Beverley! I believe that art is a way of expressing our innate feelings, and it’s very interesting to hear that some people use art to address some problems such as health, child poverty etc. It’s very interesting article. Thank you so much.
Thanks for your openness to read this and absorb the ideas in it, Kaz. Yes, art is healing and can be used in many ways to address the issues our world is currently facing. It sounds so simple, to engage our creativity and solve the crises of the world. Appreciate your thoughts and enthusiasm on this topic too.
Hi Beverley,
Thank you for allowing us to view the use of art through a different lens. Using art as a therapeutic tool is a nice way to remain present in the moment, practice patience, calmness and explore our creativity.
Thanks so much for adding this to the mix, Sharise. Yes, art has a way of offering inner calm and the opportunity to share ourselves from the inside out. It truly has the power to heal, and in a world with so much unrest and need for peace, I see how art can be a way to get to bring new possibilities into being.
Hey Beverley,
Very well written article. Art has as way of getting to the core of who you are. One of the things I love most about art is that it doesn’t really require any training and there is no “wrong” way to express yourself. Art has been proven to be very therapeutic and emotionally rewarding. Who knew that art could possibly solve many of the world’s problems? What a thought!
Thanks so much Cierra. You really get that art is something all of us have the power to create. Like you say, there is no right or wrong, as it is an expression of who we are. Finding Arscura truly helped to save my life and art is a has a powerful capacity to heal. If it can heal us, why not the world! Like you, I am willing to be optimistic and see it as a possible way to unite people and to solve problems we never imagined were possible to be solved. Let’s all make art!
Focus on art and what we have on common is a strong foundation for community. It’s amazing what we can accomplish when we let our differences slip away. So, yes, I agree we can work toward peaceful resolution when we open our minds and hearts which the programs you reference in your post seem to encourage. Please – no more starving artists!! I’m glad to see these programs are going in Toronto (hope they still are).
Thanks for your thoughts on building community by engaging people in artistic endeavours, Deb. And yes, ArtHeart just won a prestigious award for the work they are doing in the community. I love their “no more starving artist” approach. Feed people, on all levels, and watch them flourish. I have been hearing more about art initiatives that bring disparate factions together and through creating art, the conflicts lessen and understanding and sisterhood and brotherhood seem to be much more possible. This is what I believe is possible!
Very intriguing thoughts here. I am an artist in two different aspects – art and theatre. I think it has kept me sane and given me the most amazing community I could have asked for. I also have seen the power of art to heal, both firsthand and in my circle. Thank you.
Having those experiences, you certainly do get the power of creating in both an art and theatre community, Lori Ann. I have music in my background and now with my art community, I truly understand the incredible power that art has to heal and to transform lives. Appreciate you sharing you own experiences, as it enriches the conversation.
Interesting post Beverley, and I agree with some of your points. I do believe that art as a creative process can help bring communities together in harmony, people tend to want to connect with others in similar areas and art is a great way of doing this. 🙂
Thanks Ian. There are many initiatives that are bringing children and adults together in creative community projects and the results are wonderful. I believe that when people create together, the dynamic between them shifts and the possibilities that can come from that, are very worth exploring. Appreciate your ideas added to the conversation.
I feel I have to read this over a few times to get the depth of your concepts. On the surface, I so understand and agree that creativity lies inside all of us, only got lost as we ‘grew up’. Not sure about his political perspective and that art or expressing creativity can solve the magnitude of world problems. I do believe we seek communities we share common values & interests, art, music, peace being some that can connect individuals.
I also think as I peruse social media that there are far more creatives in this world, only some become famous. More & more people are using social media to show their expressions of creativity.
As always, your blogs get me thinking in ways that have been dormant.
I appreciate your thoughts after reading this post, Roslyn. The idea that creativity can lead to changes in the world, especially when it comes to peace, is happening even in places we would never imagine. There are movements who bring Palestinian and Israel people together to create art together and somehow a level of understanding and compassion is seen. When we join with others from a creative soul place, the possibilities are endless. Yes, we all are hard-wired for creativity and more and more people are seeing that there are many ways to flex their creative muscles. It isn’t only in art or music or writing or dancing. We are seeing it expressed in creative problem solving, among other ways too. Happy to hear that my posts ask you to reignite some of your own thinking that may have been lying dormant for a while. Always appreciate the depth of your comments!