Can We Give Ourselves to Permission to Make Art that Isn’t Pretty?

I had a blast attending a 30-minute Create & Play session on Zoom today. We were invited to play with string, paints and ink. It got messy. 😍 I was so excited that I didn’t realize I started on the first page of a mixed media art journal and ended up making my art on a bunch of random words. I loved pulling the strings and waiting to see what designs might arrive. There’s a lot we can learn about ourselves in those moments of not knowing and there is always so much relief and release in the letting go of needing to control or create art that looks a certain way or means something. The art can share its own meaning once it’s arrived. Our job is just to show up with a willingness to be curious and an openness to possibilities. This is why I love my work so much; holding this space for my clients to make “mistakes”, make art that doesn’t look particularly “pretty”, and make room for feelings to feel their way through the messes is such a beautiful gift. I’m so grateful to have such awesome online communities like this where I can do the very thing I invite others to: create and play! 😍🎨🌱💫