Art and Artist

Written by: Liz Cerven

5/30/24

The lives we create are works of art. It’s easy to move through the world and lose sight of this. Rather than appreciating the artwork that is our existence, we get caught up in productivity and survival. Perhaps you have moments when you pause and notice the beauty around you. Maybe you look up occasionally and catch glimpses of art in your world. Do you see it in yourselves? Do you ever notice the way you decorate your body or space?

We may be accustomed to noticing art outside ourselves rather than seeing ourselves as art. You may go to a museum or gallery to appreciate artists’ artwork. You may see artwork on the side of a building or see it within the gardens you pass by. You may hear art on a stage or in the streets as performers pour their souls into their art. You may witness art displayed in the stringing of words, painting images in your mind. Art is all around us, but do you ever stop to see the art you create in your life?

We are wonderful art forms. The way you decorate yourselves is a way of engaging in art. What clothing do you enjoy wearing that speaks to your soul? Do you drape yourself in certain colors, textures, and patterns? We don’t need to get dressed to the nines to call it art. You do not need expensive clothing and captivating attire to be a walking display of art. Do you see how you can engage in art when you dress yourself? Perhaps it’s subtle — the ringlet you leave out of your bun, the earring amongst your uniform, the patterned socks underneath your scrubs, the laces for your boots.

When you add a little mascara because you want those dazzling eyes to shine, or you place a few dots upon your cheeks and nose to play with the creation of freckles, you are engaging in art. How do you use make-up? Do you use it to cover insecurities, as war paint to fend off others, or as a form of play? Similar to paintings on the side of buildings, make-up can be used to cover and captivate.

Communal spaces where art is done amongst the noise of others fill me with joy. Artists asking one another for feedback and guidance as they cut, color, and etch is soul-filling. To be an artist on display is an act of vulnerability. To be an artist in a community with fellow artists offers safety. I always find so much laughter and conversation amongst the music of the artists’ tools and stereos. I am often drawn to their moments of collaboration, encouragement, and training.

I delight in the patience required to allow beauty to unfold upon one’s fingertips and atop one’s head. The intricate detail on one’s nails is a mini painting to be awed by. The abruption of sound they create when tapping together or strumming along a surface is music to my ears. Gatherings in spaces to create art through the coloring and texturing of hair, braiding and weaving, buzzing and shaving, painting and styling is a collaboration of creators.

Covered in tattoos myself, a creative space of joy for me is within a tattoo parlor. There is artwork displayed along walls and etched into the bodies of all those within. The process of receiving a tattoo, similar to a manicure or hairstyle, connects people through art. We are canvases, and there is trust in the artist’s abilities to perform art with and for us. The hum of machines and the ongoing conversations add to the creation through the art of memories and storytelling to come.

Just as we, the living, are displays of art, so too are many of our dead. While not displayed in all cultures, the deceased can be draped, painted, and adorned as art.

You are art. Your home is art. Your world is art.

How do you show up as a creative being in your world?