I’m not an artist, I am an artist. What I mean by that is the recognition that my ‘art’ isn’t something that would ever sustain me financially and will likely never leave my sketchpad or canvas and be set free. I do however find peace and enjoyment in changing the blank page, the open canvas to something that offers a story that simulates a sentiment.
It’s interesting how many people I have spoken to about empathy that also have a connection to art. A colleague that has just returned from a sabbatical travelling across South America is more energised to create ceramics, a new friend in Portland has the most beautiful collection of seed-infused jewellery, another creates the most stunning sensory gated art, and yet another Miami-based friend creating the most wonderful art, design books and print. All of whom are embrace empathy and have a keen interest to learn more.
There’s certainly something in the creative process, in picking up whatever medium you prefer and changing the nature of the material. From sitting in front of a blank canvas to seeing colour, feeling, and movement looking back at you is an amazing transformation. When I talked with an incredibly passionate creative this week we came to a couple of conclusions, and I have no idea why they didn’t appear to me previously.
1. Empathy and art are about change, about transforming a building, a piece of metal, a slab of clay, or a blank page. You start with something that desires, that needs change to be brought to it and you can end with a beautiful, meaningful, purposeful intent
2. There’s something about the process of being involved in the physical activity of change. That could be pressing the keys on a laptop and a verse appearing, a short story, or an epoch-defining novel. Each of which starts with the empty screen with the cursor flashing relentlessly as if to say, ‘well are we going to make a start on this or not?’ It could be physically picking up the paintbrush and making that first daub of paint on the welcoming canvas
3. The notion of starting big and filling in the detail absolutely resonates across empathy and art. With art starting with broad-brush strokes, creating a backdrop for the detail to be added later is an approach many take. With empathy, starting with an overview of the situation and making some large fundamental adaptations is key. The detail, the nuance, and the fine lines in both empathy and art can be applied late in the process. It’s possible to see what the result will look like at an early stage, it’s only toward the end that the goal is achieved
There’s an increased recognition of the power of art in helping people whose lives have been affected by an adverse experience, illness, mental and physical, and supporting people’s emotional needs. The National Criminal Justice Arts Alliance does a wonderful job of recognising and promoting the value of art in rehabilitation, and of showing that positive change is possible.
In the simplest, purest form, we’ve been creating art since the dawn of civilisation, art tells stories, it evokes emotion and certainly, in my case, it helps me relax, and recharges me. I’m not an artist, but I know we’re all artists in how we have the power and ability to create something from nothing. To forge the very change, we all want to see and create emotions where none existed before. Art is wonderful and, maybe I am an artist after all (no matter what my art teacher at school told me!)
Empathy Unbound - Embrace your superpower