Happiness is Creating

Every child is an artist.  The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up.  ~Pablo Picasso

When the idea for this piece first hit me I had planned on calling it Happiness is Making Art, however I realized that many times when you talk about making art people have a funny reaction.  You see most people’s idea of making art is limited to a subset of what creating art is all about.  We have a tendency to only think of painting or sculpture as art and that’s a really limited view.  I get this; it has taken me some time to come to the broader realization that art includes writing, singing, painting, drawing, photography, knitting and on and on.  If you create you do art, if you do art, you’re an artist.  The realization for me happened when some of my colleagues on a couple of occasions called me an artist after seeing some of my photography work.  However it’s taken some time for me to become comfortable with the idea.

Creating is a wonderful thing, you don’t have to be particularly talented, it’s not about the quality of your creations  but about the act of creating.  Creating is a particularly good release, it’s an excellent way to relax and lose track of time.  There has been a lot written about the benefits of creating:

Make More Art: The Benefits of Creating

The Brain Benefits of Making Art

The Benefit of Making Art for Kids

It’s common to be afraid of starting out on the road to practicing art, here’s a piece on the 5 Fears That Can Destroy An Artist, although pointed more at people trying to make art a profession it has a lot of relevance to those of us just creating for fun.  Finally here’s a couple of pieces to help you get started on the creative process:

How To Get Your Creative Itch Back

How To Start Making Art Again

And a video,  Art: How to Start Creating Now 

So my friends, carve out a little time, do a little creating and have a happy day ~ Rev Kane