What drives people to create?
Whether it be a painting, a recipe, or a mathematical equation, what is that thing that pulls us toward finding an expression for our vision?
Something has forever called people to create art. (Just look at the amazing murals of Baja California alone, not to mention those on practically every continent on Earth.)
The question is why?
I believe we are wired to do so. Our very human connection to the Divine begs us to continue to grow and expand, and thus, to express ourselves.
The inventor, the sculptor, the actor all play in this arena.
Using their innate tools- mind, body, heart and emotion – they bridge the space between the as-yet-unseen to the here-and-now so that it can be experienced and felt. What an amazing gift!
Einstein put it this way, ‘The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the source of all true art and science.’
You might call it the inner flame, God, universal energy, just to name a few. Regardless of what you call it, it is that something that fuels our passion. It nudges us until we allow it a voice.
To me it is my soul or intuition and it is the inspiration for my art.
Connecting to my soul allows me to receive insight and guidance.
It demands that I put aside my ego and allow that Inner Spark to lead me to places I might never access otherwise.
Like a dance it weaves me in and out. Leading and following. One step forward, 2 steps back, turn to the side. This movement creates pattern, flow and unity.
Sometimes I am taken to spaces that baffle me. You want me to do what?! But over the years a bond of trust has been established. I may not understand it in the moment, but I know I will grow as an artist and a person, so I follow my intuition.
It feels like a cellular connection, a deep calling from within that begs to be expressed visually. The challenge, for me, is to translate its language into something that can be seen and felt by others.
When that space of true connection is reached, the outcome is pure pleasure. It becomes passionate play, a riot of color, texture, heart and soul. My being is freed and it out pictures as joy and love.
That space of freedom is undeniable. I am left satisfied and breathless.
Each stroke is an intended gift of love to the Divine within us all.
Would I paint even if no one ever saw my work?
Yes, for it is my prayer. Painting is one way my soul expresses love. And I will not hide from love.
How do you sing your song? With voice, paint, numbers, physical movement, gardening? There are infinite possibilities.
The question now becomes not why do you express, but rather how do you express? What fills you with the most delicious joy? How can you do it more or better? Can you allow your soul to sing its song more clearly and authentically?
Yes, it can be terrifying to stand up and be seen. But sharing joy is contagious in the most delightful way. It makes the world a better place.
All creating is our soul’s desire to express in some form or another, to be seen, heard and shared. It is your heart’s song. Allowing it a voice is freedom.
The author Kurt Vonnegut summed it up beautifully, “To practice art, no matter how well or how badly, is a way to make your soul grow, for heaven’s sake. So do it.”
Featured art: The Flow, 24″ x 48″
See the full magazine feature here: Journal Del Pacifico, Spring 2025 Issue
