Many of us use art as an outlet, a way to express our emotions and process events that happen to us. This is always seen through our own lens, our own interpretation of what happened. It doesn’t usually reflect the opposite or adjacent sides. It isn’t meant to. Art used as healing is a way to dissect and expound on our own experience and to let emotions come up in order to move through and beyond the experience.

So I think it is important to understand, first and foremost, that art never tells the whole story. It simply captures a moment in time, a crack or opening into a person’s soul, whether it is bleeding, screaming, or rejoicing…it is exposing that experience in all its glory…and all its own truth. There can be multiple truths realized from events in our lives, all of which create a kaleidoscope of images that contribute to the whole. Piecing together the whole should be a goal, but sometimes just seeing one element is transforming…and can open up a window into the human experience. A painting, a poem, an essay, a short story, a song, a photograph, a dance…can serve as a glimpse into one life that reaches for common emotion or experience and seeks recognition. It offers itself as a lighthouse beckoning congregation, camaraderie, and empathy. Healing comes when those commonalities and compassionate understanding are felt and acknowledged.

We should all be making art because it all has value…and it opens us up to the world in a way nothing else can. Art is magic when it communicates universally…acting as translation beyond cultures, ethnicities, language-barriers, or other significant or insignificant differences. When viewing art, we should attempt to look deeper than our comfort level and allow ourselves to be moved or even changed. Don’t be afraid to put your creativity to the test, to expose yourself, to flex a muscle that can only benefit you. The more you do it, the easier it will be…and more rewarding. We learn so much about ourselves and each other through self-expression. It is the ultimate bridge-builder. The humanities keep our humanness intact in a world that can be dragged by data and statistics. We need those things as they also serve a purpose, but we also need the one-to-one connection to truly see each other as vulnerable, imperfect, beautiful, loving beings with our own purpose.

Create fearlessly…the world will be better for it.