It’s lunch, and it’s spinach alfredo pasta. Prepared for the post-lunch slump, you know it's worth it today. You chose to eat fresh handmade noodles, created by a local pastaiolo downtown.
The sauce was a recipe passed down through generations, with mother after father taking time to make it just right. The spinach leaves are designed by nature's branching pattern, and your bowl… well, you’re not sure how it was made, but it's your favorite ceramic piece and has the nicest detail and glaze.
Your spoon was designed by a cutler, and the table was based on a woodworker's design. The pattern on the vase was hand-painted, and the framed art on the wall is a print of an impressionist painting of the state park you love most.
Every little thing you could glance at around the room was designed or created.
Everything that surrounds us, was made by an artist at some point in the manufacturing process.
Nothing is created without time and attention.
Art, design, and creativity are intrinsic to each of us, and it can be soulfully grounding to pause and look around. Ponder what artistic process may have taken place to achieve what we surround ourselves with, daily.
Consider how we value and engage with the arts in our society. Most of us consider “art” to mean fine art, film, or music. But young people who play, imagine, and problem-solve grow up to be designers, fashion experts, painters, and gardeners. They grow up to be cooks, engineers, photographers, and architects.
To continue creating our society in beautiful, healing, and regenerative ways, it's imperative to foster creativity and the value of art at a young age. This means giving young people the space to observe patterns, work with their hands, communicate ideas to each other, channel their spirit, and integrate into the larger world.
So you sip your coffee, passionately grown in Central America, wash your bowl with dish soap branded by graphic artists, and look out the window to the yard you’re still figuring out how to grow. But you’ll spend time this weekend giving space to what you love most, designing your story with each choice you make. Life would be so much duller without the spirit of artists.
Creativity cannot be stopped, but it can be stunted. Cultivating creative learning space in our personal and children’s lives is a choice. It has an impact, and it translates to one or two more people feeling empowered to make their mark on the world.
See what you can notice today. What would our world be like if art was not around? It may be hard to imagine.
We are surrounded by the work of artisans, making our lives more beautiful, intriguing, and fulfilling every day.
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