The Power of Art

Art is one of the most powerful expressions of life. There is so much to cultivate and experience through it. Art, in its various shapes and forms, is a place to find community and passion, to share perspectives and learn about those you haven't experienced. It brings people together who you may have never met. It stimulates conversation and idea sharing. It evokes emotions you might not have known you had. The possibilities are truly endless.

As a young girl, I struggled a lot with sense of self. Let's be honest, I still often do. My home life was turbulent, my anxieties high. I faced scrutiny from peers for being shy and quiet. I often kept my head down and struggled with expressing myself. However, my grandmother gave me a place to feel safe and seen through art. I always had access to drawing supplies at her house. She also taught me how to knit and sculpt at a young age. Through her I was introduced to one of the most defining communities of my life at a local ceramics studio. I took classes there from childhood throughout high school, and still visit when I can. I even helped teach classes for a few years. In this community I found the beauty in coming together to create.

In high school, I found an additional community to call home. I attended a school for the arts that offered music, dance, theater, film, drawing, painting, photography, sculpture, and digital art. I can't think of a better place to spend such formative years. Through my classes as a visual artist, I really found a family. In such a tumultuous stage of life like high school, this was so important for me. No matter what social standing we had in the broader realm of public high school, there was always a sense of love and acceptance in the art room. It brought us a sense of place and confidence that is so often hard to find in a large academic setting. Getting to know people studying so many different forms of art was also so inspiring for me. It is truly a way to connect everyone, and a way to express yourself and feel understood when you might struggle to in other ways.

Since I began my practice, creating has been an extremely therapeutic outlet for me. It's allowed me to escape the darkest times of my life and find meaning and purpose in them. There is such a visceral emotional experience in taking an idea from your mind and translating it into something visually tangible. The process itself can serve as a much needed break from the constant motion of everyday life. It allows you to breathe, to find purpose, and to feel a sense of accomplishment.

Now, as a young adult in college studying other things, I still find home in art. Whether you think you are talented or not, I suggest you seek it out in your life in whatever ways you can. Join a class in something you've never thought to try before, like printmaking or weaving. Mess around in your spare time with different mediums and share your progress with friends. Have an art party. Make a poster or installation discussing something you care about. The experience can be powerful spiritually, mentally, and emotionally, both on an individual and community level. Especially now in such a globalized world, meaningful art can connect people across countries and continents.

I could truly write forever about this, but I'll let you go now and experience it for yourself! I hope you find (or have found) as much beauty in art as I have. Happy creating and much love.

— D