Art Washes Away From the Soul, the Dust of Everyday Life

This is one of my favorite quotes. It defines what art does for me. Not just enjoying and appreciating art, but actually creating it. God's creation is everywhere. I am so inspired by the things he has created for our enjoyment. I drive at sunset and marvel at the magnificent colors. I try to memorize them and want so badly to capture the moment in a painting. It's hard to explain, but I long to create, and having a family makes this hard. So as the first day of school was approaching, I thought maybe with the boys gone I would have time to paint. I started to look forward to painting on a huge canvas I have had for about 2 years that has been collecting dust in my basement. The only thing delaying "P Day" (painting day) was the expense of buying more paints and a few new brushes. Well, a few weeks ago my mom came across a box of several dozen tubes of oil paints for about $5 at a garage sale. Score! She graciously picked them up for me, so now I have my paint. Now the hard part is deciding what to paint. I am most inspired by nature. But I have also been wanting to paint scenes from other countries. I am nervous, and whenever I start a project, there is a fear that it won't turn out the way I envision it to turn out. I have been doing art for around 17 years now and I still fear failure every time. The actual process of doing art is so fulfilling and I encourage everyone to find some way to be creative. It is so therapeutic. Whether it be drawing, painting, music, writing, or photography, I truly believe everyone is creative in some way or another. So find something you love, and go out there and create!