Intersection of Art and Life

I’m wrapping up another semester at MSU in two weeks. As many of you know, I have been teaching a course called “Creative Thinking”. It’s a class that I was probably put on this earth to teach. I basically get to talk to amazing young adults about how and why making things matters, and I get PAID for it! It’s actually one of the better things I’ve had the chance to do professionally.

The coolest part of this class is getting to experience my student’s final projects. Their final assignment is a three parter. They have to create something (They can make whatever they want as long as they think it’s cool), then they have to present it to the class, and then, they write a reflective paper about the process of creating something.

Without breaking too much confidentiality, I once had a student make a stop action movie on imovie about Quito, Ecuador, where his family is from, and he composed music and lyrics to the animation. After he played it and talked about it, there was not a dry eye in the house. It was stunning! This student was a Psych major who happened to like playing guitar. His reflection was that even though he isn’t going to pursue the creative arts professionally, the project changed him, and had a profound impact on his life. Gah! Every minute of prep, planning, thinking, lecturing and grading WORTH IT!

The crazy thing is, he’s not the only one with that reflection.

So many of my students arrive to university already thinking that their days of creating things are behind them for the sake of their studies. I have had countless twenty year olds say to me “I used to make music” or “I used to paint” or “I used to write and sing, but I stopped after high school”.

Friends, for these young people, high school happened thirty seconds ago.

Readers, for you, I know that for most of your high school experiences feel like a million lifetimes ago. I ask you, when was the last time you created something just because it felt like a good thing to do?

Me? I’m making things all the time now but it wasn’t always this way. I was also one of those “I used to act in college” or “I used to sing all the time” . One day, when I was in my thirties, I realized that I was sad, and something really meaningful was missing from my life. That thing was creative expression. I reclaimed it and haven’t looked back.

This weekend I woke up, probably from a dream and decided that I had to paint some rocks and write music quotes on them. I made “Rock Music” in my backyard just because I wouldn’t have been able to move on with my day if I didn’t. See a pic below.

My little Rock Experiment

I have no plans for these silly little rocks (I made a few :)), but honestly sitting in the grass with an idea, some black gesso and a white paint pen really did the trick for me. It scratched an itch, I got some time outside with my ideas, and now I have some sweet paperweights to hand out to friends. It’s not that much more serious than that, however, maybe it is?

There is a ton of research out there that connects art creation and wellness in all areas of ourselves - stress reduction, mental health, cognition and in making social connections. Creating things offers us a new language to communicate parts of ourselves to others and to create space to be quiet with ourselves.

Throughout my life, art has saved me at various crossroads which makes me wonder if this isn’t true for others. I believe the world would be a better place if more of us lived in pursuit of creation, and in sharing that with one another.

We are so lonely as a culture. In fact, the epidemic of loneliness was the topic that the last surgeon general chose to focus his final research and recommendations to the American public as he left office. I am so obsessed with the idea that art, that making things, that bringing people together around creation, is the antidote to our lonely world.

I’ve seen what happens in my class when I ask my students to create and share. They get curious. They ask questions. They celebrate each other. They begin to understand one another. Sometimes, they make friends. They clap. Sometimes, we even cry. It’s a beautiful endeavor to make and share in your creation, and I believe it might just be the thing that saves us.

Until next time, paint some rocks or write a song and share it with someone.

xo

Kim

PS. Art show info below and a link to schedule 30 minutes with me to discuss how to bring more creation into your life or to your team. I work in corporate to bring many of the ideas I work on with my students to professionals in need of connection and fresh perspective.