I recently witnessed a miracle.
I recently witnessed proof of WHY Art is so important, why YOUR work as an Artist is vital.
Your speech
Your music
Your Book
Your performance
Your Art & Photography
And it began with this statement:
Art is one of the only things that helps me with my anxiety and depression.
On stage stands a young woman, shaking, holding a microphone at a group event. Chosen to do an exercise to meet her fear, tears are falling from her eyes, as she begins to open up to what is important to her.
Art gets my thoughts off suicide and everything that is going on in my head and concentrates it on one thing, focusing it all on that. It helps clear my head….helps to understand everything that’s going on in my head.
As she shares this vulnerable piece, there is a visible shift, not only in her body, but in the audience.
From the back of the room, the teacher asks,
Why does Art do this for you?
Art tells a story to everyone. Different art pieces may mean something to one person but not to another and people see different things and different images and just like a story it hits people and nerves and places that they’ve been, and their emotions.
Relaxing even more now, and speaking far clearer into the microphone, the woman is asked by the teacher:
What stories do you like?
People who are willing to change and go from a bad place to happy and feeling every emotion to get there.
Feeling every emotion to get there. Did you know you were giving your audience that permission?
Are you giving yourself that permission as the Creator?
Your art allows your audience not only to get out of a never ending spiraling mind, but to really connect with themselves because there’s a PIECE of your work that is familiar to them.
That inspires them.
That allows them to connect to YOU and take their minds off their own isolated anxiety.
Your art shows your audience what they are capable of and reminds them of their joy and hope.
And for you as the Artist?
Well, if you are able to take a woman who was thinking of suicide, and is now standing on a stage and vulnerably sharing her story to a packed room? A woman who now is an Ally and a supporter and an audience member?
A woman who now wants to live.
What does this remind YOU are capable of? This woman is how you know it can be better, the proof of the effect of your words and music, your brushstroke and imagery.
Art becomes the way YOU connect. Art becomes the way out of your personal isolation and into beauty.
Warren Beatty said,
The Goal of Art is to get to the Truth
The truth of who we are.
The truth of what we feel.
The truth of our experience.
So, tell your stories. Share your truth. Your audience wants what you have. More than you realize.
They are actually waiting and deeply hungry for it.
How do I know?
This woman brought the entire room to it’s feet. Every person in that room connected to her truth.
So, what is yours?