Artistic Freedom

Children are the culmination of freedom - free from worry and cynicism.  They have all the innocence and positivity that most of us lose as we get older once we start experiencing all the challenges life throws at us.  It is the inherent need to survive that makes us this way - our cavemen ancestors would not have survived a world full of dangerous creatures if they did not have the instinct to distrust everything surrounding them.  It is in our nature to be wary and cautious....  but boy would it be nice to live through the eyes of a child again.  For those of us with an artistic nature, it is easier to live life a little less "realistically" because we gain inspiration from everything around us.  We interpret events and objects with eyes that try to change the nature of what is front of us.  We never really lose what makes being a child so special - our ability to retain part of our wonder.  Even the most hardcore, starving, chip on the shoulder artist has wonder in their heart - there is no other way to look at the world and create something from deep inside. 

Every artist is putting themselves out there for the world to see when they create their art.  For this reason, criticism is a devastating evil in the art world - critics are not just tearing apart a person's work, they are also tearing apart the artist....  each piece of art is an extension of an artist's soul... it is a part of them... a look inside their minds and a peek inside their hearts.  Art is so personal to the creator, no matter the medium:  painters, sculptors, photographers, chefs, fashion designers, hair stylists....  anyone who creates something new for the world to consume or enjoy visually.  And in this way, artists are like children - continually looking for attention and appreciation.  Always seeking approval from our peers - needing the constant affirmation that we are doing the right thing with our lives.  All artists are only as good as their last creation - we live in the present because we create in the present.  Like children, we are in the moment - living with freedom.        

Home

Home this evening.... vacations are wonderful, but boy is it good to be home sometimes.  I love our house too.  We are in the process of renovating it, but what is done so far we've done together as a team, and nothing is more wonderful than looking at our handiwork and appreciating the effort we both put into it jointly.  Yes, he may do more of the hard manual labor, but I contribute with painting, landscaping, and minor labor chores.  We still have a long way to go, but it sure is nice to hear the compliments on what is completed so far!  If only they knew what goes into working on this house....  lol.  He and I constantly bicker over our different tastes, and I'd say it's about 50/50 on who wins each time.  The house is a reflection of all those hard won battles, but each battle is usally a victory for both of us because most of them end in compromise - something neither of us was very good at in the beginning of our relationship.  The one area we still don't always agree on is artwork - go figure.  Being an actual artist, I definitely have strong opinions on what comes into this house - but he is also very particular ( and I should mention he does actually have very good taste in most everything to do with the construction and designing of this home ) and we have had our most intense arguments over paintings and photographs - yes, that's right... photographs.  Just because I'm a photographer doesn't mean he agrees with all my favorite photographer's work.... lol.  In the end, however, I do love what we've agreed on so far, and with the passing time we each learn more and more of what the other likes and dislikes - and sometimes, we even surprise each other.